No Irish victims located

Efforts by the Irish consulate in New York to follow up reports about four Cavan men being seriously injured in the attacks on the New York World Trade Centre, had led nowhere, the Minister for Foreign Affairs told the Dβil.

Mr Cowen said the consulate had spent a considerable amount of time checking the story, with a view to offering assistance.

He was asked by Ms Nora Owen (FG, Dublin North) about the four men, who were reported to have been sent to St Vincent's hospital in New York.

No further information had 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?" she asked the Minister. The Department was not notified of the names, "we were only informed they were missing", Mr Cowen said.

"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."

Mr Cowen was aware of only "one Irish-born person who was injured and hospitalised for a number of days and I am happy to say, this person has since been discharged and has returned to Ireland".

In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy 50 volunteers had worked around the clock on a freephone help line building up a database of more than 2,500 Irish people about whom concerns had been registered. The overwhelming majority of those reported, turned up safe and well. He said the consulate attempted to verify the whereabouts of any missing Irish people.

Irish officials visited hospitals to verify reports of Irish injured, and visited addresses provided by relatives unable to contact family member. Inquiries were made with construction companies who might have been in the area at the time of the incident. Efforts were made to establish whether companies in the towers had Irish employees.

He believed it was unlikely but "there may have been other Irish citizens caught up in this tragedy who have not yet been notified to us."