IRELAND: The Government has been criticised for allocating €10 million for the tsunami fund from its existing humanitarian budget.
Dr Brian Scott, executive director of Oxfam Ireland, said the agency was "very disappointed" that half of the €20 million committed by the Government was being taken from funding for other crises.
"The Government should not rob those suffering in crises in Africa for the sake of the tsunami victims," he said. He called on aid officials to follow the lead of countries like Norway, Canada and the Netherlands, which had safeguarded funding for other humanitarian crises, such as those in Darfur, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Meanwhile, the Irish public has donated more than €50 million to the appeal.
While several major agencies in Ireland have announced they are winding down fundraising efforts for the cause, the Irish Red Cross is to continue its appeal.
Trócaire, GOAL, Concern and Oxfam Ireland have all announced they will no longer actively seek special donations to the relief fund.
A Red Cross spokeswoman said that, along with the Red Crescent, it had a presence in 11 of the 12 countries (the exception being the Maldives) directly affected by the tsunami long before the disaster, and that it planned to be in each of them for the long haul. It has so far raised €13.5 million in Ireland for the area.
Trócaire said its appeal had raised more than €20 million, €15 million of which was collected at Masses over recent weekends.
More than €3.5 million was collected in the Dublin archdiocese, while in Meath diocese the figure was €800,000. Figures of more than €500,000 each were collected in Tuam, Cashel, Cork and Ross. More than €4.5 million was collected in the Northern dioceses, including Armagh and Clogher.
Trócaire director Justin Kilcullen yesterday thanked the public, the bishops, and the clergy for their support.
Mr John O'Shea of GOAL said they expected their final figure to be around €10 million. Concern has raised €5 million while UNICEF received more than €2 million. At Oxfam Ireland the figure so far is €825,000.
Collections are still being taken up at Church of Ireland, Presbyterian, and Methodist services, where spokespeople have indicated donations were unprecedented. Church of Ireland Dean Houston McKelvey, known as the "Black Santa", collected more than £1 million outside St Anne's cathedral in Belfast.