The Taoiseach has declared Friday a Public Holiday to facilitate a national day of mourning for the victims of yesterday's terrorist attacks. Supermarket chains including Dunnes,Tesco and Superquinn will close, but post offices will remain open in the morning and there will be normal postal deliveries.
The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern urged all Irish citizens to observe the day of mourning and called on all businesses, schools and colleges to close. Anyone who has to work on the day will be entitiled to another day off or a day's pay in lieu of the public holiday.
Mr Ahern said that where possible people should make an effort to attend their religious services on that day. The Taoiseach asked all citizens to observe the day in solidarity to all the people of all nationalities who had died.
He spoke about this country's unique and special relationship with the US and pointed out that 44 million US citizens claimed Irish ancestry.
He said that the Government was in the process of sending additional staff to consulates in the US to deal with the enormous task of checking on Irish citizens, and he thanked staff who had been working on that task to date.
Mr Ahern said that these terrible and horrific events were an attack, not just against the US, but against democracy all over the world.
The EU has also also declared Friday a "day of mourning" throughout the Union in solidarity with those who died in the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has compiled a list of 1,300 Irish people that they are trying to track down in the wider New York and Washington areas. A spokesman said while they were confirming only two Irish fatalities so far, they were expecting quite a number of further Irish casualties.
He said it would be wrong to speculate on numbers at this stage, but he stressed that they expected that the vast majority of the 1,300 people on their list were safe. Calls have been continuing today to come in on the special helplines that will continue to operate this evening and through the night. The Department has again urged people who have managed to contact missing relatives to let them know.
Meanwhile, the National Civil Aviation Security Committee held an emergency meeting today to review security at airports. The Committee brings together a number of Government departments, airlines, the Gardaí and the Defence Forces.
All flights to and from the United States remain suspended. Aer Lingus says that all its transatlantic flights tomorrow (Thursday) have been cancelled. Passengers with queries can ring a special information number. It is 1 800 22 22 21.
The Department of Foreign Affairs in Ireland has launched two help lines for concerned relatives. They are now operating. The numbers are: 1800 401 800 / 1800 385 858. Two new lines have also been added 1 800 715 165 and 1 800 715 159
The American consulate in Belfast has said that the number for those concerned about relatives from both the North and the Republic is 001 202 646 2500.
Books of condolence at the United States embassy in Dublin will remain open overnight. They will be open again from midday tomorrow until 4pm and messages can also be sent to the embassy's website on www.usembassy.ie/
There is also a public notice board for those wishing to contact friends or relatives in the United States at www.rte.ie
