Dermot Ahern heads for tsunami zone
Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern and leading Irish aid agency bosses were travelling to the Asian tsunami disaster zone today to assess the situation on the ground.
Mr Ahern said the delegation’s visit to Thailand, Indonesia and Sri Lanka was intended to reflect the Government’s deep concern about the catastrophe.
The minister was accompanied on the journey by the heads of Concern, Goal, Trocaire and the Irish Red Cross.
The Irish delegation will hold discussions with the UN and relief agency officials in the three countries, as well as with the governments concerned.
They will also assess the situation with the special Government technical team which travelled to the region earlier.
Mr Ahern is also due to meet Dan Mulhall, the Irish Ambassador to Thailand, and with foreign affairs staff who have been working since December 26 to help Irish citizens and their families affected by the disaster.
The minister said one of the Government’s priorities was to ensure the aid committed by it and Irish citizens reach those in greatest need.
“This is about more than resources – we must ensure that our relief is used in an effective and targeted way,” he said.
“The importance of effective co-ordination of our joint efforts cannot be overstated.
“That is the clear message we are hearing from the NGO community here in Ireland and from the United Nations, which has the central co-ordinating responsibility for the relief operation.
“This joint visit will further strengthen the close co-operation and co-ordination between the Government and the aid agencies in this immediate emergency phase, and also in our medium and longer-term efforts to ensure the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the affected areas.”
Mr Ahern said the decision to visit the affected region was made following the Government’s consultations with aid agencies last week and subsequent discussions by the Cabinet.
He joined overseas development minister Conor Lenihan at a special meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels to discuss the EU’s response to the disaster yesterday.
