Professor Donnacha ? Beach?in:

On the Russian naval exercises, the timing and location aroused a lot of interest. It is speculative, at least on my part, to argue why Russia did it and when it did it, but it is interesting that it reversed the decision. That demonstrates that it acknowledged that it generated a lot of negative publicity in Ireland and that was unwelcome and it was not going to help its cause. Russia's relationship with Ireland has been traditionally frosty despite declarations to the contrary. I cannot think of any other country in respect of which we have expelled so many diplomats. I refer to the embassy on Orwell Road, from which three Soviet diplomats were expelled by the Garret FitzGerald-led Government in the 1980s in respect of, it was reported, a spy ring that was operating out of the Stillorgan Shopping Centre. If I am not mistaken, the Taoiseach, Deputy Martin, when Minister for Foreign Affairs in 2010, expelled a diplomat for the cloning of passports at the embassy in Dublin, whereby people who were applying for visas were having their passports cloned and they were being distributed to spies abroad, which was remarkable. Most recently, because of the Salisbury attack and the use of Novichok in England, along with many partners in the EU, we expelled a Russian diplomat. Relations had not been good before this. This was felt to be an unnecessary provocation. As I said, for me one of the most interesting things is that on this occasion Russia listened. The naval exercises will still take place, but the fact that they will take place outside of Ireland's exclusive economic zone is something to be welcomed. It is significant.