Irish-Russian 'security risk' woman held key Bord Gáis and Irish Water roles

Marina Sologub worked in a procurement team in the parent company for Irish Water and Bord Gáis for over three years up until 2020.

The Irish-Russian woman who has been identified as a potential security risk in Australia previously held a position in Cork that gave her unique access to details of this country’s energy infrastructure.

Marina Sologub, whose Australian visa has been cancelled on foot of security concerns, worked in a procurement team in the parent company for Irish Water and Bord Gáis for over three years up until 2020. The position she held in the parent company Ervia meant she had detailed knowledge of the gas and water network systems in the country and possibly in other EU states. 

Her role was to work as part of a team involved in procuring services for the energy utilities from companies across the EU. During her time there she was promoted to engage with strategic procurement mainly for services required by Irish Water.

Security analyst Declan Power told the Irish Examiner that anybody with access to such information would be “ a cause for concern” if there was any question of that individual having “misplaced loyalties”.

“That kind of knowledge is information that would be quite relevant to anybody who might be seeking to do damage to the country’s infrastructure,” he said. 

It would be far more of a threat than other stuff if it could impede the application of energy. It could cause harm to social cohesion and that’s the kind of thing powers like the Russians look for.

A spokesperson for Gas Networks Ireland, which formally operated under Ervia, said the company had no comment to make on the matter.

There is no evidence that Ms Sologub was engaged in anything untoward in this country, where she was brought up and lived until her decision to emigrate to Australia.

Before working in procurement for Ervia, she was employed for six years in Ireland’s space centre and she also spent time working in Leinster House for two TDs, Cork’s Bernard Allen and former Westmeath TD Willie Penrose. Ms Sologub is now understood to be in the process of making arrangements to return to Ireland since her visa was cancelled.