There are about 500 Irish citizens living or visiting the areas of south east Asia affected by yesterday's earthquake and tidal waves.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has said that Ireland's representatives in Thailand and Sri Lanka are contacting every Irish person known to be living in or visiting the two countries.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern, said that Irish officials are also liasing with other embassies to check if any Irish people are missing.
Mr Ahern stressed that telecommunications are down in many of the affected areas, and that it could be days if not weeks before a clearer picture emerges of how many Irish people have been affected.
Staff at the Department of Foreign Affairs are continuing to operate a helpline number on (01) 4082308.
They are urging anyone considering travelling to any of the affected countries to contact the Department beforehand.
McAleese expresses sympathy to victims
The President, Mary McAleese, has expressed her sympathy to all those affected by the Asian disaster.
Mrs McAleese said she was greatly distressed by the appalling loss of life and the likelihood of casualty figures continuing to rise.
She expressed her deepest sympathy to the bereaved whose loved ones were taken from them in what she called 'such sudden and horrific circumstances'.
Mrs McAleese said the reamarkable work of many aid agencies would be needed for a long time to come given the scale of injury to so many people and the need to provide food and shelter for so many others.
EU Commission pledges €30m in disaster aid
The EU Commission has pledged up to €30m in emergency aid for victims of the disaster in southern Asia. Yesterday, €3m was promised.
Commissioners expressed shock at the scale of the tragedy.
Louis Michel said the tragedy demanded a speedy and massive international response.
The International Red Cross is expected to revise upwards an appeal for more than €5m.
The UN has made $1m available specifically for hard-hit Sumatra.
Yesterday, the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, said the Government was giving a special grant of €1m to provide emergency aid to the victims.
The Irish Red Cross, Trócaire and UNICEF Ireland have also pledged a total of €350,000 in emergency relief funds.
International aid agencies rushed staff, equipment and money to the region, warning that bodies rotting in the water were already beginning to threaten the water supply for survivors.
The Geneva-based Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies said the immediate concern was to ensure that medical supplies were promptly delivered to more than 100,000 people in Sri Lanka.
