The Government has decided in principle that it will make more money available for disaster relief in Asia, as part of the co-ordinated international relief effort.
The amount of the extra funding, which will be on top of the €10m already announced, has yet to be decided. The Government will be contacting the United Nations on the matter.
Following this morning's Cabinet meeting, a Government statement confirmed that it is willing to provide logistics personnel if required.
The Government is also sending a team of military personnel and officials to assess whether the Irish army can help in the relief effort.
Germany & Australia announce increased aid
Meanwhile, Tsunami aid pledges from governments, celebrities and the public are continuing to pour in. Germany has boosted its share to €500 million while John Howard has announced that Australia is to contribute €576m.
The German aid package marked a substantial increase on the €20m initially promised by Berlin.
North Korea, one of the world's poorest nations, donated $150,000. North Korea itself relies heavily on outside handouts to feed its 22 million people.
What is shaping up as one of the largest aid efforts in history has so far raised between $2 and $3 billion, according to the United Nations.
Jan Egeland, the UN's emergency relief coordinator, declined to give a precise figure, and cautioned that nations must live up to their public pledges when the time comes to pay up.
British-backed charity Oxfam also recalled wealthy nations' failed promises of the past, and urged them to avoid the 'mistakes of previous humanitarian crises' by ensuring pledges are turned into real aid.
Celebrities meanwhile were also digging deep to help, including Hollywood stars Sandra Bullock and Steven Spielberg as well as sports champions like Michael Schumacher who offered $10m.
