ASIAN TSUNAMI: UPDATE ON IRISH RESPONSE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DUBLIN 000004 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR TASK FORCE TFX001 E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/05/2015 TAGS: EAID PREL AEMR CASC SUBJECT: ASIAN TSUNAMI: UPDATE ON IRISH RESPONSE REF: A. DUBLIN 1848 ¶B. STATE 959 ¶C. BENTON-TASK FORCE TFX001 E-MAIL OF 1/4/05 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Jonathan Benton; Reasons 1.4 (B) and ( D). ¶1. (C) Summary: Four Irish citizens are presumed dead as a result of the December 26 Asian tsunami, and the Irish Government is focused on 15 other missing persons, most of whom had been in Thailand. The Government has increased its assistance pledge for stricken areas from euro 2 million to euro 10 million, partly due to pressure from Irish NGOs, which have raised euro 8.5 million. Irish relief efforts continue to be constrained by the limited number of Irish Embassy personnel available in the region, although there are no plans to send additional government staff. The Irish Department of Defense has formed a group to consider possible, limited troop deployments to affected areas and has asked Post for operational planning information regarding possible cooperation with U.S. forces already deployed. End summary. ¶2. (U) Four Irish citizens who were vacationing in Thailand at the time of the December 26 Asian tsunami are presumed, though not confirmed, dead, according to Thomas Brady, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Principal Officer for Consular Operations, who spoke with Post on January 4 to update information he provided December 29 (ref A). The DFA has categorized as "urgent cases" 15 other missing citizens who were known to be in the areas struck by the tsunami. There are an additional 55 "low-risk cases" involving persons who were believed to be in the countries affected, but whose family members have not contacted the DFA. Brady noted that Ireland planned to send two forensics experts from the National Police (Garda) to the region in the coming days to assist with the identification of remains. The Garda and DFA have also offered to take DNA samples from family members of missing citizens to check against recovered bodies in Thailand, where Irish efforts are principally focused. Brady added that Irish Ambassador to Malaysia, Dan Mulhall, who has responsibility for Thailand, had already consulted with USG and Israeli Government personnel in Phuket regarding missing Irish citizens. ¶3. (U) In response to ref B demarche, Brady noted that the Irish Government had increased its pledge for relief efforts �A;from euro 2 million to euro 10 million. The original euro 2 million has already been allocated to the international Red Cross, and Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Bertie Ahern is scheduled to meet with leading Irish aid NGOs on January 4 to discuss coordination on the disbursement of the additional euro 8 million. These NGOs, which have so far raised euro 8.5 million, include: GOAL (euro 1 million); UNICEF Ireland (euro 750,000); Concern (euro 1.6 million); Trocaire, the Irish Catholic Church development organization (euro 1.8 million); and, Oxfam Ireland (euro 500,000). Several of these organizations have begun to send personnel to tsunami-affected areas. On January 3, 2,000 people took part SIPDIS in a charity walk in Dublin sponsored by GOAL, which raised euro 45,000. ¶4. (U) The Irish Government continues to be constrained in its relief efforts by communications difficulties and by the limited number of Irish Embassy personnel available in the region, although there are currently no plans to send additional government staff, according to Niall Brady, DFA First Secretary for Asian Affairs. Brady told Post that the GOI was relying on the seven (total) diplomats stationed at the Irish Embassies in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and New Delhi to manage Ireland's consular caseload in Indonesia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka, respectively. A Dublin-based DFA official who was vacationing in Thailand at the time has also stayed on in Phuket to assist. Brady mentioned that Prime Minister Ahern is scheduled to visit China in late January and may add one of the affected Asian countries to his itinerary. Brady added that Ahern was planning to take a holiday the week of January 10, which would give impetus to finalizing Ireland's short-term assistance plans this week. ¶5. (C) On January 4, the Irish Department of Defense notified Embassy's DAO that it had formed a planning group to consider possible, limited Irish troop deployments to tsunami-affected areas (ref C). The Department of Defense SIPDIS requested risk assessments, situation updates, and other data regarding possible areas of cooperation with U.S. military forces already deployed. The Irish Defense Department reported that Prime Minister Ahern would consult with his Cabinet on January 5 about the possibility of committing Irish troops. (The Irish Government has capped at 850 the number of troops that can be deployed to overseas missions, and currently there are roughly 750 troops so deployed. On December 31, Irish Defense Minister Willie O'Dea told the press that the Government was prepared to exceed the 850 limit to meet the needs of tsunami-stricken countries.) ¶6. (U) Comment: Generally, the Irish public appears to be satisfied with the Irish Government's response to the disaster, although NGO pressures certainly accounted for the Government's decision to increase its assistance pledge to euro 10 million. Representatives of opposition parties have used the tsunami aid issue to highlight the fact that the Government is only contributing 0.45 percent of GNP to official development assistance, well short of Ireland's Millennium commitment of 0.7 percent. BENTON