INFORMATION out of Liberia is "very scant", according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
As Ireland has no diplomatic mission in the country, the Department is getting all its information from the US embassy. The Americans say there is only one Irish national in the US Embassy compound and he is safe.
A spokeswoman for the Department said they were not releasing the name of the person. It would only say that he is a man and he is safe and well. His family in Ireland have been informed of his situation.
The Government gave relief aid of £235,000 to Liberia this year to assist various projects.
Ms Antoinette Kinahan, of Moate, Co Westmeath, told The Irish Times she had been unable to get in contact with her sister, Therese (36), who is nursing in a hospital in Monrovia. She has been living in the city for about three years and is married to a Liberian, Mr Ben Sayeh, and has a daughter, who is almost a year old. They live about three miles outside the city.
Irish relief agencies, Trocaire, Concern and Goal, have no workers in the area, but they contribute to projects in the country. Trocaire had just recruited a worker for the country, but with the present troubles they are putting the move on hold.
Irish missionary orders, such as the SMA (Cork) and the St Louis Order, Rathgar, have a small number of workers, but they are not near Monrovia, where most of the shooting is taking place.