Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I do have the power to withdraw citizenship. As the Deputy will be aware, there is a very particular procedure laid out in that regard. The issue of evidence in relation to people who travel and the purposes for which they travel is a complex one. Many people have asked if, for example, people could be prevented from travelling. The majority of those travelling to Syria from Ireland and elsewhere enter that country through Turkey, but it must be noted that Syria may not have been the original destination cited by many of those travellers. They may have travelled to other cities and then travelled onwards. To prevent people from travelling and obtain sufficient evidence of their activities to allow the type of action outlined by the Deputy is a complex procedure. I would not rule out doing so where such evidence is available from An Garda Síochána.

There is careful monitoring in this area by An Garda Síochána. We cannot be complacent. There are many international travellers passing through Ireland all the time. Monitoring is important. This is a threat. We need to gather as much intelligence and security information as we can in relation to it, but there is no evidence to suggest a specific threat against Ireland or that Ireland is being used as a transit hub for people engaged in this type of terrorism.

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