“Intensive and ongoing” efforts are underway to secure the release of Irish woman Gena Heraty from captivity after she was kidnapped along with eight other people from an orphanage in Haiti on Sunday.
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Harris’s comments came shortly before he held talks overnight with his Haitian counterpart, Haiti’s Foreign Minister, Harvel Jean-Baptiste.
According to the Department, the Tánaiste requested that everything be done to secure the release of Gena and the other hostages, among whom is reportedly a three-year-old child.
“The Minister assured me of his support in our work to ensure the safe release of Gena, and all the hostages, who have gone through the most horrendous of ordeals,” Mr Harris said, adding, “We have agreed to stay in touch about the case, which remains extremely sensitive.”
Described as an “extremely sensitive case,” diplomatic teams in Dublin, Washington, DC and London have been tasked with working on the hostages’ release.
Ms Heraty, originally from Westport, Co. Mayo, has spent over 30 years working in Haiti, moving there initially in 1993 and dedicating her life to her work with children and adults with disabilities at an orphanage in Kenscoff, a commune 10km south of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince.
A lay missionary with Viatores Christi, a faith-based international development organisation, and director of the Nos Petits Frères et Soeurs (NPFS, Our Little Brothers and Sisters)-operated orphanage, Ms Heraty is the latest foreign missionary to be kidnapped in Haiti in recent years.
Seven employees and a three-year-old child were also kidnapped from the orphanage, which looks after more than 240 children.
In a statement, NPFS France said that a “thorough analysis of the incident is underway,” and that it remains hopeful for a “a quick and safe return”.
Viatores Christi meanwhile said that it had received confirmed reports that Irish member Gena Heraty was taken by “armed individuals” from her home on Sunday morning, local time:
“Gena has worked in Haiti for over 30 years, dedicating her life to children and adults with disabilities through her leadership of NPFS’s Special Needs Programme. Her commitment, compassion and steady presence have made a lasting difference to many families in the region.
“Our organisation has supported NPFS’s work for a number of years and has seen first-hand the impact of Gena’s efforts. We are in close contact with our partners on the ground and remain hopeful for her safe return.
“We are thinking of Gena, her family and colleagues, and the adults and children in her care. We ask that her privacy — and that of those closest to her — be respected as efforts continue to clarify the situation.”
UN figures reveal that almost 350 people were kidnapped in Haiti in the first half of 2025, while approximately 3,100 people were killed in the same period.
Speaking previously of her work in Haiti, Ms Heraty said that she feels “so blessed to be able to do what I do”.
“Anyone who lives with children with special needs will tell you that every day is a drama, but a wonderful drama,” she said on that occasion, adding later that “Haiti is often so brutal, but the challenge is to take the pain and see what you can do to relieve it”.