Terrorists may be plotting attacks from Ireland - McDowell

Extremist terrorists in Ireland may be plotting atrocities across Europe, Justice Minister Michael McDowell said today.

Mr McDowell said members of radical terrorist groups may be basing themselves in Ireland in order to avail of the common travel area between the state and the UK.

The Justice Minister revealed the State’s worries as British Prime Minister Tony Blair vowed to defeat the terrorists who inflicted the series of bomb attacks on London.

“In the past there has been evidence that some people in Ireland, who have an extremist point of view, have been engaging in logistical support activities for terrorist type activities in Europe and elsewhere. That is a worrying thing,” McDowell said.

“It wouldn’t be beyond the bounds of possibility that terrorists would exploit the common travel area in order to perpetrate acts of terrorism in Britain.

“So it is a matter of very major significance to the Irish State that there should be the fullest possible cooperation between the two jurisdictions in respect of this kind of activity and the fullest possible sharing of intelligence.”

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern last week revealed that police were monitoring al-Qaida sympathisers in Ireland as part of a massive international security operation.

In the aftermath of the London bombings, Mr Ahern said he did not believe Ireland was under serious threat of attack.

He admitted security services were closely monitoring certain people in the Republic.

“We take that very seriously, the gardaí work very very closely with international security and we do watch certain individuals very, very closely,” Mr Ahern had said.

“There are people living in the Republic of Ireland that we have to attach huge importance to and we do.

“This week underlines that and we do that as part of international co-operation.”

Mr McDowell today confirmed the movements and activities of several individuals throughout the state were being closely monitored.

“We are talking about a number of people who are under surveillance and whose activities are the subject of interest by the intelligence services of this island state,” Mr McDowell told RTE radio.

“I have been in the closest possible contact with UK and US intelligence services in relation to this. There is a sharing of information and close co-operation.”

Mr McDowell said he believed bringing in a system of identity cards based on the continental model would be rife with problems.

“The issue of ID cards arises in the context of a proposal by the UK government to introduce some form of ID cards in the UK and because we have a common travel area. And because we have citizens in Northern Ireland who are entitled to live there and be Irish citizens,” Mr McDowell said.

“There are issues there that the two governments are going to have to address,” he added.

“There is a balance between security and individual liberties and privacy issues which just has to be struck in the right way.”