Victims should be allowed settle here, says FG

VICTIMS of the Haitian earthquake should be allowed to re-settle in Ireland, Fine Gael yesterday urged.

The party’s overseas aid spokesman Billy Timmins said a glut of empty properties across the country could be used to house survivors of the disaster that is estimated to have left 200,000 people dead and 3 million displaced in the poverty-stricken Caribbean nation.

“If it could alleviate the plight of Haitians, we should consider taking refugees from Haiti. God knows, we have enough empty residences throughout the country that could house people,” he said as the Dáil probed the emergency response to the earthquake.

Labour’s Joe Costello said the West needed to redefine its relationship with Haiti in light of the catastrophe as the impoverished nation had been allowed to fester in underdevelopment and inequality.

“Haiti was a disaster waiting to happen. An increasing number of events have given rise to similar disasters such as the tsunami and we can almost predict that what has happened in Haiti will happen again in a few years in some other part of the world. The public response has been excellent. I have no doubt the public response will far exceed the national response, which has also been very good and I compliment those involved on how quickly it has been put together,” he said.

Overseas Aid Minister Peter Power said the generous response of the Irish people to the disaster had been impressive and the Government had acted with speed in delivering help.

“The public has demonstrated an extraordinary level of generosity in supporting appeals over the past few days. Millions of euro have been donated at a time when many people are feeling the effects of the recession, have lost their jobs or saw their salaries reduced,” he said.

Ireland has so far donated €2m in aid at national level to the disaster relief fund.