Sir, - As someone who has worked over the past 30 years in the different major refugee crises. I would like to ask the Government to create an Irish Rapid Reaction Force which could be sent at very short notice to the scene of the seemingly endless refugee disasters, such as the one now unfolding in Zaire/Rwanda.
The Irish Red Cross, Concern, Goal, Trocaire and Refugee Trust have many excellent, well trained and highly motivated people who would be willing to serve on such a force. In practice, Ireland could then offer it to an international agency such as the UN or the EU, as the need arises.
I realise that individual agencies would still want to get involved under their own steam and with, their own ethos. Nonetheless, the sheer scale, complexity and expense of recent disasters call out for an immediate response and an immediate expenditure of money, materials, food, medicine and shelter on a scale quite beyond the capacity of any single one of them.
Irish people have shown an amazing generosity in the past to those in need. However, I believe our best asset is the people we have, and we can use them more efficiently and more effectively if we pool rather than divide ours resources. - Yours, etc.,
Taylor's Hill,
Galway.