Four Irish people perished in the December 26, 2004, tsunami, which Ahern described as "a spectacular reminder of humankind's vulnerability to the constantly evolving nature of this planet."

He said those most affected were, by and large, the poorest and most vulnerable, adding that the path to recovery would be a long one.

"However I am confident that the tsunami survivors in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Burma and elsewhere will achieve their goal to build back and to build back better. We will assist in this," Ahern said.

He paid tribute to the work of Irish aid agencies who received 80 million euros (95 million dollars) in donations from the public to help with the relief and recovery effort.

The government donated a further 20 million euros.

"This places Ireland as one of the most generous nations in the world -- a fact of which we should be most proud," Ahern said.

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