Michael Mullins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join my colleagues in extending our sincere sympathy to all those who have lost loved ones. We should communicate our support for them in any way we can. It is to be welcomed that the Government responded quickly by pledging €1 million and I hope additional resources will be found. It is particularly worrying that so many remote areas of the region have not yet been reached and the situation could prove to be much worse than we imagine. We can hope that the power of communications and social media will alert all countries to the plight of these unfortunate people and that the response from other countries and Governments will also be generous. I have no doubt the Irish people will respond to the various NGOs which are fund-raising for the victims at this particular time and that the response will be as generous as it always has been.