Bush security staff to be armed for Irish visit

US security personnel accompanying President George W Bush on his visit to Ireland in June will be armed and allowed to open fire if it is deemed necessary to protect him.

The Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, said today that in certain circumstances, visiting dignitaries are entitled to be protected by their own security team.

He said armed US staff will be permitted to open fire "to save lives" if they deem Mr Bush or any of his entourage to be in danger during his visit on June 25th and 26th.

"But I believe that we have to keep this all in a sense of proportion and I think you will find that no unusual or unprecedented steps will be taken on this occasion," he said. "Shooting at anybody in Ireland is only done to save lives and that's a fundamental principle of our constitution and our common law and it's not going to be abrogated in any way."

However, the Garda Commissioner, Mr Noel Conroy, insisted today that US security services would not enjoy immunity from prosecution and any use of weapons would be fully investigated by Irish police. He insisted that An Garda Siochana were solely in charge of security during Mr Bush's visit.

Mr Bush is travelling to Ireland for a formal EU-US summit which is due to take place on June 26th in an as-yet undisclosed location. Dromoland Castle in Co Clare and Ashford Castle in Co Mayo are being tipped as possible sites.

Mr McDowell and Mr Conroy were speaking at two-day summit in Dublin Castle of the heads of the police forces of all the European Union countries, as well as the cheifs of Interpol, Europol and Cepol, the European Police College. They are set to discuss improving co-operation in fighting international terrorism, cybercrime and organised crime.

The Green Party MEP for Dublin, Ms Patricia McKenna, argued that US forces should not be allowed carry weapons. "The British authorities did not give in to the demand for immunity from the Americans if they shot demonstrators when Mr Bush visited London and we shouldn't either," she said. "What happens if they shoot protestors, are they being given the right to 'shoot to kill'?"

Mr Joe Costello of the Labour Party said he believed the overwhelming majority of Irish people would be "shocked" at the announcement by Mr McDowell. He said: "The decision by Minister McDowell is an effective vote of no-confidence in the Gardaí and is a step too far. This is a sovereign nation yet Minister McDowell appears to be prepared to hand over responsibility for law enforcement and for the use of firearms to the security personnel of another country."

Anti-war protestors are planning demonstrations in Dublin and at the venue. Some 3,000 people protested in Dublin last weekend at the ongoing US occupation of Iraq and Mr Bush's forthcoming visit.