Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 January 2005
768 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will report on the findings of the gardaí who participated in the Government technical team that visited the tsunami-affected region, and on the present and future role of the gardaí in the tsunami humanitarian relief effort. [1658/05]
View answerI am informed by the Garda authorities that the Garda evaluation team on duty in the tsunami-affected region is based in Thailand, where investigations are being headed by the national police authorities. Owing to the numbers of fatalities resulting and the large number of nationalities involved, a Disaster Victim Identification Information Management Centre was established, with agreed internationally accepted identification procedures being strictly adopted.
The primary function of the Garda evaluation team is to assist in locating Irish citizens reported missing and feared dead. In attending to this task, the evaluation team liaise with and support the efforts of the officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs on location in Thailand, including attendance at daily conferences at the DVIIMC to deal with issues relating to Irish citizens who have been assessed as being at high risk — i.e. reported missing and feared dead — following the tsunami. Following the tsunami, four Irish citizens were assessed as high risk. In such cases all relevant samples-materials have been obtained from families and forwarded to the evaluation team for entry and comparison against records established in the DVIIMC in Thailand. The samples obtained relate to DNA, fingerprints, dental records and full descriptive particulars. To date, the bodies of two of these citizens have been recovered, positively identified and repatriated.
In order to support the efforts of the evaluation team, the Garda Síochána has established an incident room in Dublin to channel all inquiries from the team, to liaise with the Department of Foreign Affairs here and with the family members of Irish citizens in the high risk category. Daily contact is maintained between the evaluation team, the Department of Foreign Affairs on location and in Dublin and the established incident room, and requirements are reviewed daily.
Currently two Irish citizens remain in the high risk category. All relevant information to assist in their identification has been forwarded to the DVIIMC and included in its identification system. The evaluation team, together with the Garda authorities in Dublin and the Department of Foreign Affairs officials at home and on location, will continue to do everything possible to assist in the location of these citizens.
On 17 January 2005, following a formal request received, the Garda Commissioner approved the deployment of a Garda fingerprint expert to the DVIIMC to assist the Thai authorities with the process of identifying tsunami victims. No further requests for additional Garda assistance have been received to date. Should any such further requests be received they will be given the fullest consideration.
