Plans for €10m security system to tackle terrorist threat at ports

BETWEEN €5 million and €10m will be spent over the next six months to put in place a national security system at Irish ports to counter terrorist threats.

Experts believe that while Ireland has a low risk of being targeted by terrorists, it could be used to target other countries such as Britain.

Under the plan:

Each of the seven major ports will draw up a detailed security plan.

All the ports will appoint a security manager.

Staff will undergo security training.

Ports will establish more barriers, restricted areas and manned gates.

Ports will conduct more baggage checks, screening of traffic and people and set up photo identification facilities.

“Since 9/11 the focus has been on ports and shipping as potential terrorist targets.

“This has been driven by the US,” said Cathal O’Neill of Irish security consultants RMI.

“All countries must secure the transport chain and put in place a security structure,” he added. RMI has been commissioned by the Irish ports to carry out terrorist threat assessments in each port, to advise in drawing up security plans and their implementation and to train staff.

Regulations introduced by the UN’s International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and a forthcoming EU directive demand that all ports worldwide adopt a comprehensive security structure.

IMO secretary general Efthimios Mitropoulos said on Thursday that no port could consider itself safe from the threat of terrorism.

“Here in Ireland the threat assessment is low, but it would have high impact if it happened.

“That’s not to say we wouldn’t be a soft underbelly to get at somebody else.

“We don’t want to be caught responsible,” said Mr O’Neill.

One scenario is a container, with a large bomb, being steered into a British port, after having stopped at a Dublin port.

Mr O’Neill said that every facility or terminal within each port now had a security plan, but that there was not yet a security plan for the seven ports themselves.

Likewise each facility had a security officer, but only one port, Dublin Port, had a security manager, with Cork due to appoint one soon.

He pointed out that 99% of Ireland’s exports and imports, valued at €150 billion, was transported by container.

Jimmy Carolan of Dublin Port said traffic had trebled in the last 10 years.

He said the port now processed 500,000 containers, 600,000 freight, trucks and ferries, 1.5 million people, 360,000 tourist cars and three-four million tonnes of oil a year.