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
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

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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

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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