Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

The first indication we received of the use of false Irish passports in connection with the killing of Mr. Mahmoud al Mabhouh was on 4 February, when local press reports in Dubai stated that several suspects were believed to have entered Dubai on Irish passports. The ambassador of Ireland to the United Arab Emirates, Mr. Ciarán Madden, immediately contacted the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs to seek clarification as to the truth of these reports. On 8 February, the ambassador, Mr. Madden, was received at the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was informed that it had no information at that time but that the matter was under investigation by the United Arab Emirates security services.

On 15 February, the Dubai chief of police gave a news conference during which he gave the details of fake Irish passports. My Department, in co-operation with the Garda and the security services, immediately commenced an investigation into the apparent use of fraudulent Irish passports, including making contact with the Irish citizens whose passport numbers had been stolen . I have discussed the matter with the United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister and have assured him of Ireland's co-operation. The Attorney General took the opportunity presented by his St. Patrick's day visit to the United Arab Emirates to discuss the issue with the Foreign Minister.

The ambassador, Mr. Madden, has maintained ongoing contact with the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Dubai police, in addition to liaising with his German, French, Australian, Austrian and British counterparts. He met the United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed al Nahyan, to discuss the situation. The Dubai police have shared with us the details of the fraudulent passports it suspects were used and we have passed on these to the investigating gardaí.

Officials from our embassies in Paris, London and Berlin have been in contact with the foreign ministries of those countries to ensure a co-ordinated response. Senior officials of my Department have also met on two occasions with the Australian ambassador to Ireland and shared information with him. I have discussed the situation on a number of occasions with the British Foreign Secretary Mr. David Miliband and we are co-operating closely and sharing information. On Monday of last week, the British Foreign Office briefed our Embassy in London to the effect that the Serious Organised Crime Agency, SOCA, investigation had found "compelling circumstantial evidence" of Israeli involvement in the production of false British passports. Our own investigations by the Department and the Garda are ongoing. I expect them to be completed by the middle of next month.

On 22 February I met the Israeli Foreign Minister, Mr. Avigdor Lieberman, in Brussels to outline how seriously we take the misuse of Irish passports. Our ambassador to Israel also met with the Europe Director of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and registered Ireland's serious concerns. The Israeli ambassador to Ireland was invited to Iveagh House where senior officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs stressed the seriousness with which the Government viewed the matter. It is simply unacceptable that totally innocent Irish citizens could have been endangered through this fraudulent use of Irish passports. The consequences of innocent Irish citizens being implicated in the murder of a Hamas commander could have been extremely serious.

Our primary focus in all of this has been to guarantee the security of the Irish citizens affected. There are now a total of eight false or falsely obtained Irish passports in question. We have spoken to all of the citizens who hold or have held passports with numbers provided by the Dubai authorities and we have provided them with new passports.

Last month at the Foreign Affairs Council, EU Foreign Ministers strongly condemned the fact that those involved in this action have used fraudulent EU member states' passports and credit cards acquired through the theft of EU citizens' identities. As stressed in the past, particularly in March 2004, by EU Heads of State and Government at the European Council, the Union has consistently opposed extra-judicial killings, which are contrary to international law.

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