THE NUMBER of potentially lethal devices dealt with by the Army bomb disposal squad last year rose by 45 per cent, according to figures released by the Defence Forces.
Up to December 21st last year, the Army bomb disposal squad had received 42 call-outs relating to viable devices which had “all the components of a bomb and were set to detonate” causing potential harm or loss of life.
The call-outs in relation to viable devices rose from 29 in 2008, while just 18 such devices were detected in 2007.
Fine Gael spokesman on justice Charlie Flanagan said the increase in the number of potentially lethal devices was a cause for concern.
“This is a sinister development and it indicates the extent to which criminals will go to intimidate and potentially cause mayhem in communities,” Mr Flanagan said.
“It also indicates a level of expertise that can be associated with former terrorists and would indicate the involvement of Republicans which requires a response from the authorities. It is incumbent on the authorities to run out those responsible.”
The bomb disposal squad dealt with 82 hoax call-outs over the course of 2009, an increase of 40 per cent on the previous year when it dealt with 59 apparatuses which had no explosive content but which resembled an improvised explosive device.
In 2007 the number of hoaxes totalled just 11.
A spokesman for the Defence Forces said while the Army would obviously prefer to deal with fewer hoaxes, every device had to be treated with the same gravity. “We approach every device in the same way, we have to . . . public safety is our number one priority and is paramount at all times.”
The Army bomb disposal squad also handled 68 “routine” call-outs and “finds” in 2009. These call-outs included the discovery of grenades dating back to the Civil War and other old weapons which are usually discovered during excavations work, as well as other devices which are not connected to any form of criminality.
The squad was called out 192 times in 2009, up from 183 call-outs a year previously and almost twice that recorded in 2007 when the squad was called out 98 times.
The personnel who make up the Army bomb disposal teams are sourced from the Army Ordnance Corps and are weapons and ammunition experts. Bomb disposal officers hold, at minimum, a university degree in engineering or science, while the other members of the team are made up of City and Guilds qualified technicians.
The Army has an internationally recognised skill in the area of bomb disposals as a result of the Troubles and from experience gained on deployments abroad.