Aid groups praise Irish generosity in wake of Asia disaster

Aid agencies have praised the Irish people's ongoing generosity in the wake of the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster, describing it as unprecedented.

Irish agencies have already collected several million euros in donations from the public, while the Government has pledged €10m to the relief effort.

A fundraising walk organised by GOAL is due to take place in Dublin this afternoon, while a special collection for the Irish Red Cross in pubs, hotels and restaurants is expected to have raised up to €1m by the time it ends this evening.

Shops throughout the country have also been collecting money over the past week.

Dr Brian Scott, the executive director of Oxfam Ireland, said: "[The response has] been quite dramatic. We can't keep up, actually.

"It's predominantly cash donations and we're very grateful for that. We're also very grateful for saleable items - clothing, books, CDs.

"Clear out your attic and donate it please to your local Oxfam shop because we can turn that into money."