I read that it's estimated that the collections for this in Ireland so far amount to £3 per head (about $4.8), and that's without taking into account whatever the Government does.

If only the other comfortably-off countries could match that it'd make a serious difference - it'd mean £1350 million pounds across the European Union, and about £900 from the USA. Adding up to £2,250 million - equivalent to $4430 million, just for those two regionsn of the world. That is the kind of money that is going to be needed

And hell, that £3 a head isn't an unrealistic amount of money to give in a situation like that. I suspect that most Mudcatters will be giving more than that.

And that is why the amounts so far promised by all our Governments really are not at all impressive. Money isn't the only thing or even the most important thing, but it's the necessary thing.

Remember, for all we know that mountain in Las Palmas in the Canaries could slip into the sea tonight and when it does the people of the Atlantic could be facing the same catastrophe, only probably far worse. If it doesn't happen tonight it's certainly going to happen some time.