The Government today revealed plans to pledge a total of €13 million towards rebuilding Haiti after the devastating earthquake.
Minister of State for Overseas Development Peter Power said the donation would be paid out over three years to support the Haitian people plan to recover.
He will announce the donation by taxpayers, through Irish Aid, at a United Nations international donors’ conference in New York chaired by UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon and US secretary of state Hillary Clinton.
Mr Power said the devastation created by the earthquake of January 12th this year provoked an outpouring of public sympathy and an overwhelmingly generous response by the people of Ireland.
“The Government moved swiftly to provide emergency aid and funding, which to date has exceeded €4 million,” he said.
“I am building on that commitment with a pledge to provide financial support over the next three years which will bring the Irish Government’s total support to €13 million.”
This figure includes almost €1 million towards the cancellation of Haiti’s remaining debt to the World Bank.
Haiti’s prime minister Jean-Max Bellerive will also attend the UN conference to outline his government’s long-term reconstruction plan.
Mr Power said the scale of the challenge to rebuild Haiti was enormous.
“The damage resulting from the earthquake is estimated at $7.9 billion (€5.2 billion) - more than Haiti’s entire economic output last year,” he said.
“While the Haitian government’s long-term plan has the potential to transform the fortunes of Haiti in the years ahead, the immediate needs of affected families are immense.”
PA