Gena Heraty, the Irish aid worker who was kidnapped in Haiti at the beginning of August, has been released, along with her fellow captives.
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris confirmed the release and said all the victims are reported to be safe and well.
Heraty, a missionary who is director of the Sainte-Hélène orphanage run by Nos Petits Frères et Soeurs (NPFS, Our Little Brothers and Sisters) in Kenscoff, was taken with seven others, including a three-year-old child, at the start of August, about 10 kilometers outside the capital, Port-au-Prince.
The County Mayo woman, who has lived in Haiti since 1993, oversees the running of the orphanage and is the co-ordinator of its special needs programme.
It is believed she was abducted by criminals associated with the Viv Ansanm gang which controls large parts of the country, the Irish Times reported.
Criminals later made contact with officials to demand a ransom. It is not known if any ransom was paid.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: "I warmly welcome the release of Gena Heraty and her fellow captives in Haiti. I’m delighted for her family, who must be greatly relieved at this news.
I also pay tribute to Tánaiste Simon Harris, Ambassador (to the U.S.) Geraldine Byrne Nason and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for their work to help secure the release.
Tánaiste Simon Harris said: "I am delighted to confirm that Irish humanitarian worker Gena Heraty has now been released. We warmly welcome the news that Gena and all of the Haitian nationals taken captive on 3 August, including a small child, have been released and are reported to be safe and well.
"This is the outcome we had all hoped for and I want to sincerely thank all those who played a part in securing their release, including Gena’s colleagues at Nos Petits Freres et Soeurs, the local community representatives, Haitian authorities, An Garda Síochána, our UN and European partners and the many officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for their tireless work to achieve this result.
"This has of course been an extraordinarily difficult and stressful situation for the Heraty family. I wish to pay tribute to their resilience and determination to support Gena and her fellow captives over these past difficult weeks.
"Gena is a respected humanitarian and deeply courageous person who has dedicated her life to supporting the most vulnerable people in Haiti. This is a timely moment to recognise the work of all Irish humanitarians and missionaries working in challenging contexts and providing life-saving support in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine and beyond. While we welcome this news, it is also important that we do not lose sight of the challenges facing the people of Haiti.
"I now send Gena, her family and all those released my very best wishes. We will continue to provide all possible support as they recover from their terrible ordeal."
The Heraty family in its own statement said: "We are so delighted to be able to share that Gena, and all those taken with her, have been released following their kidnapping on 3 August, 2025, from the St. Hélène property in Kenscoff, Haiti.
"We are relieved beyond words. We are so deeply grateful to everyone, in Haiti and internationally, who has worked tirelessly over these terrible weeks to help secure their safe return. In particular we would like to acknowledge the support of an Tánaiste Simon Harris, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and his team at the Department of Foreign Affairs, including Geraldine Byrne Nason, Ambassador of Ireland to the United States of America.
"The global outpouring of concern, love, prayers, and solidarity shown for Gena and to us by friends, neighbours, communities, colleagues, and indeed those with no connection to us at all has been a huge source of comfort and support.
"For now our priority is Gena - her health, protection, and privacy - and those in her care. We kindly ask that the media respect the need for privacy as all those involved recover from this traumatic ordeal.
"We continue to hold Haiti in our hearts and hope for peace and safety for all those who are affected by the ongoing armed violence and insecurity there."
