Passports issue to be pursued 'vigorously'

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen has insisted the issue of false Irish passports being used in an alleged assassination of a senior Hamas figure “will continue to be pursued to the greatest extent possible”.

Mr Cowen said “we all accept this is an issue with serious implications”, but he rejected calls by Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny that he should raise the issue with President Barack Obama during his visit to the White House on St Patrick’s Day.

Mr Kenny referred to media reports that “an Israeli spy based in Dublin supplied the information for the forged Irish passports”, and he suggested that the Taoiseach raise the issue with President Obama “given that the American government has very strong associations with the Israeli government”.

However, Mr Cowen said “it would be very inappropriate to raise with the US president a bilateral matter between Ireland and another country in which he has no involvement whatever”.

He added: “If I have a problem in regard to America, do I go to Israel?”

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore said the Israeli foreign minister had said he had no knowledge about the use of Irish passports. The Government had to pursue this issue with the Israeli authorities with more vigour.

The Taoiseach rejected Mr Gilmore’s comments. “No one has been more vigorous than Minister Martin in respect of pursuing the matters that have affected the countries in the passport issue.”

Sinn Féin Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked if the Taoiseach would use the next European Council meeting “to raise the criminal activity of the Israeli regime”, not only “the recent illegal employment of Irish passports and related matters but also to the regime’s illegal imposition of an apartheid regime in Gaza and West Bank”.

Mr Cowen said the EU’s common foreign and security policy was not based on majority vote but on consensus, “and where we are in a position to be a little more robust on some issues of concern we do that bilaterally”.