State funds trip to tsunami memorial for families

THE Government is to pay for relatives of the four Irish victims of the south-east Asia tsunami to attend a remembrance service in Thailand.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern, said €20,000 had been made available to enable families to travel to the St Stephen’s Day memorial.

“The Irish Government, in a small way, is happy to provide funding to the families of the young people who lost their lives in Thailand. I am deeply conscious that this will be a very difficult and sad occasion for the families,” the minister said.