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People inspect the rubble of a Houthi-held detention center destroyed by Saudi-led airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen earlier this month. Hani Mohammed/PA

Ireland to give more money towards Yemen crisis as Irish aid set to jump next year

The Taoiseach says the time has come for Ireland to start increasing our spending on international development again.

IRELAND IS TO give additional funding of €500,000 towards the crisis in Yemen where over 20 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.

This new funding is in addition to €750,000 provided last month and brings Ireland’s total direct humanitarian support to the crisis in Yemen to over €5.3 million this year.

In total, Ireland has and nearly €12.5 million since 2012.

The funding will go to the UN-managed Yemen Humanitarian Fund, which ensures food, shelter, health and protection is given to the most vulnerable.

Tánaiste Simon Coveney said the scale and severity of the humanitarian crisis in Yemen is overwhelming.

“The suffering of the Yemeni people is increasing every day. A staggering 22.2 million people, or 76% of the population, are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, an increase of 1.5 million people since June 2017 alone,” he said.

The UN has warned that Yemen is now the world’s largest man-made humanitarian crisis, with 17.8 million people food insecure and 8.4 million people at risk of starvation.

Basic public services are on the brink of collapse, and there is a cholera outbreak on an unprecedented scale.

Following the launch of a missile from Yemen towards Riyadh on 4 November, the Saudi-led coalition imposed restrictions on humanitarian access in Yemen.

Tánaiste condemns attack

The Tánaiste said Ireland unreservedly condemns missile attacks which endanger civilian lives, including the attack on 13 December.

“Ireland has also consistently highlighted, in bilateral contacts and at EU level, that humanitarian and commercial access to Yemen is necessary to avoid tragedy on an appalling scale. At the Foreign Affairs Council on 11 December, I myself urged stronger EU action in this area, and I am personally committed to following this issue closely,” said Coveney.

Minister of State Ciarán Cannon said Ireland remains committed to responding where needs are greatest, adding that Ireland will continue to provide supports to the people of Yemen in 2018.

Speaking to TheJournal.ie this week, Coveney said one of his biggest priorities next year is expanding Ireland’s aid programme.

Irish aid programme

He said he will be looking for a budget to do this in the new year, adding that he will me making some “very ambitious new asks of government”.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said this week that by the middle of next year the government will have carried out a review of Ireland’s international development aid commitments.

He added:

Ireland has fallen back quite a lot first because of the recession and secondly more recently because of a very fast growing economy. Our contribution to international development is now only about 0.3% of our GNP or GNI, whichever you prefer to use.

We had been around 0.58% at one stage so the time has come I think for Ireland as a country to start increasing our spending on international development again and that will be part of our plans for Ireland’s contribution to the world and also for our foreign policy and we’d hope by the middle of the year to be able set out a schedule as to how that can be done in the years ahead.

‘You should be proud’: Taoiseach visits Irish troops serving in Lebanon this Christmas>

Read: Defence Forces ‘facing challenges’ in fulfilling its gender targets>

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48 Comments
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    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John S
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    Mar 13th 2016, 3:57 PM

    Patty = Homer Simpson’s sister in law. Paddy = patron saint of Ireland.

    372
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    Mute GameOverMan
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    Mar 13th 2016, 11:08 PM

    Its a good idea, i just think it should’ve been ya know funny. Don’t get me wrong, great pictures great idea but comedy wise its a weak piece.

    21
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    Mute danny corrigan
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    Mar 13th 2016, 4:02 PM

    Actually it’s Patrick, not Paddy

    283
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    Mute John Collins
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    Mar 13th 2016, 4:13 PM

    Actually it’s Padraig.

    183
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    Mute Chief
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    Mar 13th 2016, 4:14 PM

    Actually it’s Patricius if we go right back

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    Mute AARO-SAURUS
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    Mar 13th 2016, 4:28 PM

    Actually, it’s Pato.

    55
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    Mute George Hogan
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    Mar 13th 2016, 4:44 PM

    Happy Patty’s Day one and all!

    35
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    Mute Tom the Bomb
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    Mar 13th 2016, 4:46 PM

    It was actually Cothraige if you want to be really pedantic.

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    Mute Chief
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    Mar 13th 2016, 4:52 PM

    Care to explain Tom the bomb?

    21
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    Mute Shawn Rahoon
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    Mar 13th 2016, 4:57 PM

    Actually it’s KISS MY ARSE and not as the Americans say ” kiss my ass”. So remember that loyke.

    33
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    Mute Jimmy jones
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    Mar 13th 2016, 5:24 PM

    Actually Tom the Bomb is correct . The guys name was Cothraige .
    If you want to be correct it is Cothraige’s day .

    27
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    Mute Chief
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    Mar 13th 2016, 6:30 PM

    The “guys” name was Corthraige after he was the slave of four people is what I’m coming up with when I do a search Jimmy. Can you get me a link to what you seen as I’ve a good interest in this malarkey

    13
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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Mar 14th 2016, 2:41 AM

    Patrick means Noble but is it Welsh or French lol.

    1
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    Mute Mark Byrne
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    Mar 13th 2016, 5:00 PM

    I called my son Patrick because he was born on Saint Patrick’s day, did I ever tell you about my son pancake…..

    170
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    Mute Eugene Walsh
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    Mar 13th 2016, 9:53 PM

    Wha did st paddy say when he was driving the snakes out of Ireland?

    10
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    Mute Eugene Walsh
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    Mar 13th 2016, 9:54 PM

    Yiz alri in the back ? I have my coat, gone !!

    22
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    Mute Larry Doyle
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    Mar 13th 2016, 4:30 PM

    Looking forward to celebrating Depenance Day in July.

    150
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    Mute Lad
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    Mar 13th 2016, 7:08 PM

    Am I the only person who is as annoyed as it being called paddy’s day than pattys day?! It’s St Patrick’s day if your going to go serious about it..

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    Mute Alan Lawlor
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    Mar 13th 2016, 8:00 PM

    As he is not an officially recognised saint, then Patrick’s Day would be more apt

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    Mute Uncle Denise
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    Mar 13th 2016, 8:01 PM

    I thought paddy was a term used by the brits for the Irish. Correct me if I’m wrong.

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    Mute Alan Lawlor
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    Mar 13th 2016, 8:04 PM

    It is a term used by the English – but the more derogatory term would be “Micks”.

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    Mute Smiley
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    Mar 13th 2016, 10:13 PM

    Or, Mickey Doolin.

    2
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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Mar 14th 2016, 3:04 AM

    Presidance Day was fun… lol.

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    Mute The Green Monkey
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    Mar 13th 2016, 4:15 PM

    Same shít story surfaces every year.

    The Yanks call it Patty,
    The Brits called us Paddys

    His name is St. Patrick……….

    138
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    Mute Sean Costello
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    Mar 13th 2016, 4:21 PM

    We make a big deal of not calling it pattys while at the same time calling it paddy’s, which was a derogatory term the english used for us. It’s neither paddy not patty.

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    Mute Caroline McQ
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    Mar 13th 2016, 4:31 PM

    Paddy is not a derogatory word if it is your name. Paddy is a common short version of Patrick or Padraig.

    102
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    Mute Fear Uisce
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    Mar 13th 2016, 5:10 PM

    Just like African Americans using the N word, we’re taking ownership of paddy and feck the tans

    57
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    Mute Shawn Rahoon
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    Mar 13th 2016, 5:13 PM

    If your auntie Patty had balls she would be your uncle Paddy

    67
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    Mute pZTahAXy
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    Mar 13th 2016, 8:31 PM

    What about her moustache?

    8
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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Mar 14th 2016, 3:05 AM

    Or making oyster soup lol.

    1
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    Mute UM
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    Mar 13th 2016, 4:05 PM

    Can we just get over it. Who gives a crap what the Americans call the day

    39
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    Mute Tony Hartigan
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    Mar 13th 2016, 4:36 PM

    Saint Patrick day that’s it.

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    Mute Del Haven
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    Mar 13th 2016, 4:44 PM

    Nope

    3
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    Mute Notthatguy
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    Mar 13th 2016, 9:53 PM

    Its get hammered day to be fair…

    7
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    Mute Alan Carthy
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    Mar 13th 2016, 4:57 PM

    Who is st paddy It Saint PATRICK always has n always will me #respectfortheman

    32
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    Mute Avril McLoughlin
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    Mar 13th 2016, 7:21 PM

    It’s St Patrick’s Day or La Fheile Padraig…..☘

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    Mute Noel Falkhall
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    Mar 13th 2016, 4:37 PM

    …..the 5th of July

    18
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    Mute Jamie McCormack
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    Mar 13th 2016, 5:02 PM

    Patrick was a gentleman, he came from decent people

    17
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    Mute Jamie McCormack
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    Mar 13th 2016, 8:53 PM

    He built a church in Dublin town, and on it put a steeple

    His Father was a Gallagher, his Mother was a Brady

    His Aunt was an O’Shaughnessy, and his Uncle was a Grady

    12
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    Mute Luke Victory
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    Mar 13th 2016, 6:29 PM

    Am intrigued to find out what a $5 red bull yellow irish bomb is…

    14
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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Mar 14th 2016, 2:44 AM

    Anything yellow might be scary…

    1
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    Mute Padraig
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    Mar 13th 2016, 4:13 PM

    Dara O’Briain’s tweet also needs to be rolled out again.
    https://twitter.com/daraobriain/status/577773188370866176

    13
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    Mute Aodh Ó Fógartaigh
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    Mar 13th 2016, 10:18 PM

    It won’t help that much, seeing as Americans usually ‘celebrate’ Paddy’s Day on the previous Saturday…

    8
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    Mute Tony Hartigan
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    Mar 13th 2016, 4:35 PM

    Such ignorance

    8
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    Mute Martin Greene
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    Mar 13th 2016, 10:52 PM

    Dumb yanks

    5
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    Mute Noel Falkhall
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    Mar 13th 2016, 4:19 PM

    Can’t wait to celebrate the

    4
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    Mute AARO-SAURUS
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    Mar 13th 2016, 5:17 PM

    Ok. The anticipation is killing me. SPIT IT OUT!

    37
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    Mute Castalla Villas
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    Mar 14th 2016, 8:51 AM

    Absolute idiots who cares what they call it. They’ll eventually get around to calling thanksgiving something else.

    3
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    Mute Pat Gorman
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    Mar 13th 2016, 8:52 PM

    The proper Irish name is ” lá le pádraig”.
    Only English speaking idiots beyond the Pale up there in Dublin call it “St. Patrick’s Day”.

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    Mute Amy Gaffney
    Favourite Amy Gaffney
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    Mar 13th 2016, 10:22 PM

    The stupid is strong with this one

    16
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    Mute Aodh Ó Fógartaigh
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    Mar 13th 2016, 10:27 PM

    Lá ‘le Phádraig’, to be precise (‘Lá ‘le’ =’Lá Fhéile’…)

    [From an English speaking 'idiot' up here in Dublin... which is, I think you'll find, within the Pale rather than beyond it. You're welcome.]

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    Mute Kirk Van Houten
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    Mar 13th 2016, 4:57 PM

    St. Pirlo

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    Mute Journaliest
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    Mar 13th 2016, 7:09 PM

    It’s St. P****y day.

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    Mute Owen McDermott
    Favourite Owen McDermott
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    Mar 14th 2016, 5:45 AM

    Happy St Patty’s Day!

    1
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