The Government is to appoint former TD Chris Flood as special envoy to the tsunami devastated regions of Southeast Asia.
Speaking in the Dáil this evening, Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern said Mr Flood would serve for a six-month period.
Mr Flood is currently chairman of the Advisory Board for Development Cooperation Ireland.
The minister said he would oversee the spending of Irish aid to the area to ensure that projects are delivered.
Mr Ahern also told the Dáil that the Government was in discussion with the UN regarding the deployment of more army logistics specialists to Indonesia.
