Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 April 2019
213. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, ISIS, or the paramilitary groups involved in Syria and Iraq are proscribed organisations here; and if it is a criminal offence to be a member of these organisations and to be involved in atrocities committed by these paramilitary organisations. [15011/19]
View answerAs the Deputy will appreciate, the Government attaches the highest priority to the security of the State and the people. Combating terrorism, whatever its origin, remains a primary and priority task of An Garda Síochána, supported where necessary by the Defence Forces.
The State has a strong body of laws in place to counter terrorism and sustain our national security. The primary body of law in this regard is the Offences Against the State Acts 1939-1998 and the Criminal Law Act 1976 which were enacted and have been applied to combat the threat from domestic terrorism and subversion. The Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Acts 2005-2015 were enacted to have particular application to international terrorism and give effect to a number of international legal measures to combat terrorist activities. These laws are supported directly by a range of provisions in the general criminal law aimed at supporting the authorities to combat serious crimes.
The Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005 makes explicit provision to ensure that any organisation which engages in terrorist activity or terrorist-linked activity is an unlawful organisation and that the provisions of the Offences Against the State Acts 1939-1998 and the Criminal Law Act 1976 have application to it.
I want to assure the House that the State will use all means at its disposal under the law to protect the people from harm and to ensure the State’s security. The law in this area is kept under active, ongoing review.
