US embassy cable - 04DUBLIN1848

UNCLAS DUBLIN 001848 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR TASK FORCE TFX001 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, PREL, AEMR, CASC 
SUBJECT: TFX001: ASIAN TSUNAMI: IRELAND INFORMATION 
 
REF: STATE 274365 
 
1.  Two Irish citizens are presumed dead in Thailand (Phuket 
and Phi Phi), and roughly 50 Irish who were believed to be in 
the areas affected by the December 26 Asian tsunami are 
unaccounted for, according to Thomas Brady, Department of 
Foreign Affairs (DFA) Principal Officer for Consular 
Operations.  On December 29, Brady told Post that Irish 
efforts were focused on Thailand, the most popular Irish 
tourist destination among the locations struck by the 
tsunami.  Brady said that the DFA was making steady progress 
 
SIPDIS 
identifying Irish survivors of the disaster, but that 
communications difficulties and limited consular registers at 
the few Irish embassies in the region were hampering DFA 
efforts.  Irish Ambassador to Malaysia, Dan Mulhall, who has 
responsibility for Thailand, is now in Phuket and has 
confirmed that local hospitals treated 15 Irish citizens for 
injuries.  The Irish Deputy Chief of Mission in New Delhi, 
Pat Byrne, has arrived on Sri Lanka's coast, where about 20 
Irish citizens remain unaccounted for.  Brady noted that DFA 
hot lines had received roughly 1,000 calls from persons 
seeking information on Irish citizens, although in most cases 
the callers could not confirm that the citizens in question 
had been in the affected areas.  He added that the GOI had 
not made special provisions with airlines to transport Irish 
citizens home. 
 
2.  The GOI has pledged euro 2 million to relief efforts, 
noted Brady.  The Development Corporation Ireland (DCI), the 
aid agency within the DFA, will channel these funds 
principally to the international Red Cross.  The Irish Red 
Cross and Trocaire, a development assistance NGO established 
by the Irish Catholic Church, have each pledged euro 100,000 
for emergency aid.  Trocaire said it would direct its 
contributions to sister organizations in India and Sri Lanka. 
 Unicef Ireland has also pledged euro 150,000.  The Church of 
Ireland and the Irish Catholic Church intend to take up 
special donations for disaster areas during January 9 
services. 
BENTON