Irish responseThe Irish Government last night expressed its deep concern at the existence of a plot to attack aircraft flying out of the United Kingdom but said no threat currently existed in this country.
Speaking on behalf of the Government, Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan said she was pleased that the successful intervention of the security services in Britain had averted a major threat to lives on a huge scale.
"All intelligence indications are that the plot was conceived in relation to the UK and intended to be implemented there. There has been ongoing liaison between the security services here and their counterparts in the UK and internationally," the Minister said after attending a meeting of the national security committee in Dublin yesterday.
The Taoiseach and the two security Ministers, Michael McDowell at the Department of Justice and Willie O'Dea at the Department of Defence, were not at the meeting as they are on holidays, but all were in contact by phone.
Senior officials from both departments along with representatives from the Garda and the Defence Forces attended the meeting.
Ms Coughlan said that the Taoiseach had been kept appraised of the situation as had Mr McDowell and Mr O'Dea, but she emphasised that there had been no change in Ireland's security status as a result of yesterday's events.
"The security assessment in relation to Ireland has not changed and there is no reason to believe that there is any specific threat against this country.
"However, it is important to maintain a high level of vigilance. All appropriate security measures will continue to be taken," she said.
"The National Security Committee met this afternoon to assess the situation arising from these developments. The role of this committee is to keep the Government and the Taoiseach informed on major national security issues. The Taoiseach is being kept advised of developments."
She said that the National Civil Aviation Security Committee has also met. The committee, in consultation as appropriate with international aviation authorities, will review and address the implications for aviation security of yesterday's events.
The Fine Gael defence spokesman, Billy Timmins, said he was very concerned about what he claimed was the low priority given to emergency planning in Ireland following the terror alert at UK airports.
"I would like to congratulate those involved in foiling this attack. Given Ireland's close links with both Britain and the United States, Irish citizens would undoubtedly have been caught up in any large-scale incident of this type.
"However, I remain seriously concerned by the lack of priority given to emergency planning in Ireland," he said.
"I have called for the work of the Taskforce on Emergency Planning to be underpinned through legislation, and for the creation of a single emergency planning body which would report to the highest level of Government, namely the Taoiseach. This is in line with a recommendation from the Emergency Planning Society, made to Government in 2003, yet this recommendation has never been acted upon.
"I raised this recommendation with the Taoiseach last July, but he informed me it would not be acted on as 'substantial costs would be associated with [ the] suggested approach'.
"Cost should not be a factor in the protection of civilians, and it is unacceptable for this serious recommendation to be waved aside so casually," Mr Timmins said.