Defence analyst warns that attack on Britain could threaten Ireland

Evelyn Ring and Seán McCárthaigh

“If the terrorists decide to launch a radioactive dirty bomb or attack a nuclear power station in Britain, it will affect us,” said Dr Tom Clonan.

The retired army captain who lectures in the political economy of communications in the DIT said biological weapons planted in London would affect Ireland in the same way that foot-and-mouth disease and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) did.

“We cannot just say that it is miles away. able to cope with a small-scale disaster.

Britain, however, had been well prepared to respond to Thursday’s terror attack.

Dr Clonan said that this time last year the British Government’s Cobra committee had rehearsed a similar incident on the London Underground.

The rehearsal was a “boots on the ground” exercise involving hundreds of police, medical and fire fighting personnel and underground transport staff and overseen by the small centralised structure. It will cross borders,” he stressed.

As things stood, our hospitals were not able to cope with a small-scale disaster.

Britain, however, had been well prepared to respond to Thursday’s terror attack.

Dr Clonan said that this time last year the British Government’s Cobra committee had rehearsed a similar incident on the London Underground.

The rehearsal was a “boots on the ground” exercise involving hundreds of police, medical and fire fighting personnel and underground transport staff and overseen by the small centralised structure.

“The problem is that in Ireland we don’t have one unified agency for responding to mass casualty incidents,” said Dr Clonan. Fine Gael yesterday called for new legislation to strengthen the ability of the emergency services to respond to a terrorist attack.

The party’s defence spokesman, Billy Timmins, said the London bombings highlighted the need for a single, top-ranking, emergency planning body to deal with major incidents.

Mr Timmins said current responsibility for the State’s emergency response to such incidents appeared to rest between a large number of disparate Government departments, State agencies and sub-groups.

However, speaking on RTÉ radio yesterday, Minister for Defence Willie O’Dea said there was a “very detailed” plan to respond to incidents such as occurred in London.