Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The recent attacks in London and Manchester were barbaric acts of senseless violence that targeted defenceless people. They fit a sadly familiar pattern of terrorism that has blighted many countries around the world.

The expert threat assessment is that while an attack here is possible, it is unlikely, and there is no specific information relating to any threat to Ireland from international terrorism. That said, there is no complacency in this regard and the level of threat from this source is kept under constant and active review by An Garda Síochána.

I am sure the Deputy will appreciate that it is not possible to go into the detail of the security measures in place without handing an advantage to anyone who might wish to do harm. While we must not underestimate the challenges posed by brutal incidents of the type we have seen, I can assure the Deputy that the authorities here are taking and will continue to take all necessary and appropriate measures to counteract the threat. Indeed, only this morning I was briefed again in some detail on these matters by the Garda Commissioner.

The Garda has in place appropriate operational measures to prevent and to respond to terrorist incidents in terms of intelligence, a well-trained and equipped special intervention capability and other national support resources, including armed support. The considerable operational skills and resources of the Defence Forces are also available where needed. Additional resources were provided in the Garda Vote last year that included a dedicated allocation of funding for combating the threat from international terrorism. This is being used in respect of certain additional training, operational equipment and personnel requirements.

The establishment of the armed response unit for the Dublin region is a key investment in enhancing the armed response capacity for critical incidents and in freeing up and supporting the specialist capacity of the emergency response unit, ERU. The resources requirements and allocations in this regard are being kept under active review.

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