Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 617: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs th e

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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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 UAE Foreign Ministry to seek clarification as to the truth of these reports. On 8 February, Ambassador Madden was received at the UAE Foreign Ministry and was informed that they had no information at that time but that the matter was under investigation by the UAE's 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 cooperation with the Gardaí and the security services, immediately commenced an investigation into the apparent use of fraudulent Irish passports, including by making contact with the Irish citizens whose passport numbers had been stolen. I have discussed the matter with the UAE Foreign Minister and have assured him of Ireland's cooperation. The Attorney General took the opportunity presented by his St. Patrick's Day visit to the UAE to discuss the issue with the Foreign Minister.

Ambassador Madden has maintained ongoing contact with the UAE Foreign Ministry and the Dubai Police, in addition to liaising with his German, French, Australian, Austrian and British counterparts. Ambassador Madden has met with the UAE Minister for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed to discuss the situation. The Dubai police have shared with us the details of the fraudulent passports they suspect were used, and we have passed these on 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 coordinated 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 British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and we are cooperating closely and sharing information. On 22 March, 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. On foot of the findings, the British government requested that a member of staff of the Israeli embassy in London be withdrawn. Our own investigations, both by this Department and by the Gardaí, are ongoing.

I have already, on 22 February, met with the Israeli Foreign Minister, 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 Foreign Ministry 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 confirmed false 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.

At the February 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, notably in March 2004, by EU Heads of State and Government at the European Council, the European Union has consistently opposed extra-judicial killings, which are contrary to international law.