Minister of State Power announces recruitment drive for Rapid Response Corps
News
21 February 2010
Haiti emergency underlines the importance of Rapid Response Corps
Minister of State for Overseas Development, Mr Peter Power TD today launched a recruitment drive for the Irish Aid Rapid Response Corps.
The Rapid Response Corps (RRC) is a roster of skilled and experienced volunteers available to deploy at short notice to humanitarian emergencies anywhere in the world. Corps members are deployed to Irish Aid’s humanitarian partners, providing specialised skills essential to their emergency operations.
“Since the Rapid Response Corps was first launched in 2007, there have been 67 deployments to humanitarian emergencies in 23 countries. Corps members are making a valuable contribution to saving lives and rebuilding the livelihoods of people affected by emergencies around the world”, said Minister Power.
A further two members of the Rapid Response Corps travelled to Haiti this weekend, bringing the number currently deployed in the country to six.
“These highly-skilled volunteers are making a crucial contribution to the international recovery effort and working hard to respond to the needs of those affected by the devastating earthquake of January 12,” Minister Power said.
Three of the six RRC members – an ICT expert, an electrical engineer and a civil engineer – are working with the UN World Food Programme (WFP). Another is providing support to the civil military coordination function of the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Two logisticians are working respectively with Irish aid agencies, Concern and Goal.
“While we have deployed six Corps members toHaitisince the earthquake, there are 11 other members serving inAfghanistan,Chad,Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC),Kenya,Philippines,Sierra Leone,Sri LankaandSudan.
Minister Power also announced that he has approved €1 million in funding to finance the operation of the Corps in 2010.
“This will support the recruitment, training and deployment of RRC members in 2010, including our ongoing operation inHaiti.
“We are seeking experienced logisticians, public health and humanitarian coordination experts and engineers, particularly those with a water and sanitation background. We are also keen to recruit volunteers with a second language and French speakers are particularly in demand”.
“This year, there is also a focus on civil-military coordination experts, an area of expertise in which I believeIrelandcan develop a niche. I also want to recruit information management experts. We have seen - most recently inHaiti- that experts who can collate, analyse, map and present accessible information in emergencies are very much in demand among our humanitarian partners,” Minister Power said.
“For Irish Aid, the Corps has become an increasingly important means of responding to international emergencies”, he said.
- Profiles of the six RRC members and photographs for download are available at: http://www.irishaid.gov.ie/article.asp?article=1557
- Information about the Rapid Response Cops, the recruitment process and the full list of skills profiles being recruited, is available on the Irish Aid website
- The closing date for applications is March 5, 2010.
For further information or to arrange an interview with Minister Power, please contact Fionnuala Quinlan, press officer, Irish Aid, the Department of Foreign Affairs on 01-4082653 or 087-9099975.
ENDS
Press Office
21 February 2010
