Government and State agencies to assess terror threat

A meeting to assess the terrorism threat faced by the State and the measures the Republic could take to counter it will be held on Thursday, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has told the Dáil.

Mr Kenny said he had called the meeting “of all of the agencies - defence, justice, transport, health - for 7.30 in the morning to look at our situation here”, following Monday’s bombing at Manchester Arena.

The Taoiseach said he was “very impressed with the immediate response of the first-responders in Manchester to the tragedy”.

He said there was always the threat of danger at concerts and major sporting occasions, “no matter where you put the perimeter of security”.

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However, Mr Kenny added: “It’s important for the Government of the day to be able to give assurances to our people that everything humanly possible is being done and put in place to protect innocent people and citizens of our country.

“And we will do that - share that information as far as we can with the House here.

“We can’t proceed on the basis that everything is calm and rosy, that nothing could happen here while the levels of security are moderate.”

He said that an attack was possible but not likely, but warned: “There isn’t any reason why that couldn’t change.”

Criticism

Speaking in the Dáil, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said "a national committee that comes together every time there's a crisis is not the ideal response".

The Manchester bombing should lead “to an examination as to whether or not our own structures are adequate to deal with this international terrorist threat and particularly in terms of our terrorist intelligence system”, Mr Martin added.

He said he had read reports that were critical of the State’s position on this issue “and our lack of an effective single agency to deal with security intelligence in this country.

“Apparently, we’re the only EU state that doesn’t have its own national security intelligence agency.”

He said it was something that needed fairly urgent examination.

"The issue is does the crime and security stay with An Garda Síochána. "

He also questioned whether the State had looked at “more preventive strategies” to stop extremism developing within communities.

The Taoiseach acknowledged that there was an issue about “whether we should have a security and intelligence unit separately from the structure that currently operates here. And we’ll reflect on that.”

He said that “when the O’Toole commission on policing gets going that it will look at security and policing”.