Vol. 542 No. 2
101 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of Irish-born people killed or injured on 11 September 2001 in the US following attacks in New York, Washington DC and Pennsylvania; the condition of those injured; the services the Irish Consular Service was able to offer and continues to offer to the families of those killed or injured; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24048/01]
On the basis of the information compiled by my Department in Dublin and in the United States, we now believe that eight Irish-born people were killed in the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. We are not aware of any Irish-born people killed in the attack on the Pentagon or the crash near Pittsburgh. I stress that this figure is based on the names of Irish citizens compiled by and communicated to my Department. Unfortunately, although I believe this to be unlikely, there may have been other Irish citizens caught up in this tragedy who have not yet been notified to us and, there were, tragically, very many Irish-American victims of the outrage. I am aware of only one Irish-born person who was injured and hospitalised for a number of days and I am happy to say that this person has since been discharged and has returned to Ireland.
Immediately the news of the attacks broke, my Department established a crisis centre to assist Irish people seeking information about friends or relatives who might have been affected. Emergency services were also set up by our Embassy in Washington and by our consulates in New York and Boston, and the whole system, between our US missions and the Department, operated in a fully integrated manner.
A free phone help line service was set up in Ireland and a team of more than 50 volunteers, including staff from other Departments, worked around the clock answering calls and building up a database of more than 2,500 Irish people about whom concerns had been registered. The Department of Health and Children very helpfully provided a team of counsellors to assist relatives in coping with the trauma of the events and also provided advice and support to the staff of the crisis centre. I am deeply grateful to all involved, who enthusiastically offered their services and whose work was in the finest tradition of the Irish public service. Thankfully, the overwhelming majority of persons reported to the crisis centre turned up safe and well.
In New York, the consulate attempted to verify the whereabouts of any missing Irish people. Consulate officials visited hospitals to verify reports of Irish injured. In a number of cases, they also visited addresses provided by relatives who were unable to make contact with their family member. To the extent possible, efforts were made to ascertain whether companies which had offices in the World Trade Center had any Irish employees affected by the disaster. Inquiries were likewise made with construction companies and sub-contractors who might have been in the area at the time of the incident. The consulate held regular meetings and discussions with Irish immigrant groups to ensure maximum follow-up on reports of missing persons and casualties.
Since 11 September, consulate staff have maintained close contact with the New York police department. We deeply appreciate the assistance provided by it in registering missing persons and checking lists of the dead and injured, in what was also a very difficult time for the police department. All possible assistance was provided to relatives who travelled to New York and many of them were met on arrival by representatives of the consulate. Not all families required assistance but, where requested, the consulate provided support, such as booking accommodation and meeting relatives at the airport. Assistance was extended not only to the relatives of Irish-born but also to relatives of US-born Irish citizens missing at the World Trade Center.
When in New York at the end of September, I was able, and on behalf of the Government, this House and the people, to express my deep sorrow to Governor Pataki and Mayor Giuliani at the tragedy which had occurred and to express my sympathy to the families of the victims. I attended a special memorial service for Irish and Irish-American victims arranged by the consulate. I also had a detailed meeting with the Irish immigrant groups with which we had been working closely. I thanked them for the enormous support and assistance they were providing to the Irish-American community in the aftermath of the attacks. In recognition of this work, I announced a special Government grant of $300,000 to assist these groups in dealing with the consequences of this tragedy.
Will the Minister convey the appreciation of the House to all those who assisted immediately after the atrocities – the consular and diplomatic staff, the telephone operators, the counsellors and all those the Minister has named? For them, it was also a very difficult time, dealing with traumatised parents and friends.
Has the Minister any information on the whereabouts of four Cavan men who were reported to have been seriously injured and sent to St. Vincent's Hospital, but about whom no further information has become available? Has he had an opportunity to talk to the parents of these Cavan men and can he shed any light on this story?
I am aware of the reports. My Department was not notified of the names of the four individuals, we were only informed they were missing. The consulate in New York spent a considerable time trying to follow up on these reports with a view to offering assistance but these inquiries led nowhere. We made it clear that any family member concerned about the well-being of an undocumented relative could speak, in full confidence, to the Department or the consulate.
Is the Minister saying that the reports by the RTE journalist, Charlie Bird, by reporter, Neil O'Dowd, and by a Member of this House, had no foundation? Is it the case that these people have not been discovered, that they were not injured in the attacks and that no family can be identified as having reported these people missing? What is happening in this case? It is a matter of concern that something like this would circulate in the media, without any veracity to it.
I cannot comment further on these cases other than what I have said as we have not been provided with their details nor has any assistance been asked of us. At a general level, I reiterate our assurance that the Department will deal in confidence with any information received. If a family does not require our assistance, we fully respect that decision also. I cannot assist in that matter.
