Rapid response corps at the ready to aid in disasters

THE first deployment of Ireland’s new rapid response corps to help in disaster areas was announced yesterday.

Up to 64 people with specialist skills initially will be deployed to countries hit by disasters and emergencies.

The Department of Foreign Affairs decided to set up the rapid response unit following the 2004 Asian tsunami.

A lack of co-ordination between aid organisations also led to the establishment of the corps, explained Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern yesterday.

“I saw after the tsunami the response of the EU generally. While each member state did their own thing, it wasn’t well co-ordinated as far as I was concerned.”

In future, the EU would be able to avail of the corps in emergencies, he stressed.

Experts employed to head up the corps will include engineers and environmental experts, health officers, IT specialists, logisticians as well as experts in de-mining.

The first man to be deployed yesterday said he was confident his training and previous experience would stand to him in the field.

Conor Lyons, from Thurles, Co Tipperary, is a logistician and will work with the UN World Food Programme in Sri Lanka.

Mr Lyons has worked with the UN in East Timor, Liberia and Kosovo since 2000 as well as with GOAL in Sri Lanka.

Up to 24 volunteers from the Irish corps have completed their pre-departure training, ready to go at a moment’s notice to disaster regions. A further 30 will begin training next week.