The Minister for Foreign Affairs said tonight he wished to see and urgent resolution to the refugee crisis unfolding off the coast of Indonesia.
Mr Brian Cowen said the Government was "concerned for the situation" of the 400 refugees on board a Norwegian registered ship off Christmas Island.
He has asked Ireland's Ambassador in Canberra to express this concern to the Australian authorities.
The Irish embassies to Norway and Indonesia have also been instructed to urge the local governments to work with the Australian authorities to resolve the crisis
Mr Cowen said in a statement this evening that he wished to see the countries involved uphold their obligations under the UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (1951 Geneva Convention) and other international refugee laws.
