The Government has announced a further allocation of £500,000 for the Turkish relief effort in addition to the £200,000 granted earlier this week, reports Mark Brennock.

A significant proportion of this latest £500,000 will be used to buy medical supplies which have been requested by the Turkish government. These include emergency antibiotics, suturing equipment, surgical kits and other drugs.

A total of 60 specialised search and rescue teams have been sent to Turkey since last Tuesday's earthquake, including 1,000 specialists from EU states. Ireland has no such specialised units, but has been providing assistance to those left injured and homeless as a result of the disaster, a Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman said yesterday.

The initial £200,000 was given to the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent to enable them to buy food, water and locally available medicines. In a statement announcing the further £500,000 grant, the Department of Foreign Affairs said the Government was "ready to further respond as the situation develops".

The EU has made an initial grant of £1.5 million to Turkey and EU member states including Ireland are participating in the co-ordination of the relief effort.