Enda Kenny
Ceist:5 Mr. Kenny asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the recent work of the National Security Committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6755/07]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 3 April 2007
Ceisteanna (5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
Pat Rabbitte
Ceist:6 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the National Security Committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8363/07]
Amharc ar fhreagra
Joe Higgins
Ceist:7 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the recent work of the National Security Committee. [8940/07]
Amharc ar fhreagra
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Ceist:8 Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the recent work of the National Security Committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9644/07]
Amharc ar fhreagra
Trevor Sargent
Ceist:9 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the National Security Committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11367/07]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí ó Béal (15 píosaí cainte)
I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 to 9, inclusive, together.
Having regard to the confidential nature of the work of the National Security Committee, it would not be appropriate to disclose information about the dates of individual meetings or any of its proceedings.
The committee is chaired by the Secretary General to the Government and comprises representatives at the highest level of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, the Department of Defence, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces. It is concerned with ensuring that I and the Government are advised of high level security issues and the responses to them, but not involving operational security matters.
The committee meets as required and will continue to do so. In addition to meetings, the members liaise on an ongoing basis to monitor developments which might have national security implications, in particular in the international arena.
It was reported last year that up to six Islamic terrorist cells were operating in Ireland in 2003. I raised this matter previously with the Taoiseach and he said that some people were being observed. Does the evidence available to the Government indicate that these Islamic terrorist cells are still based in Ireland or that personnel associated with them are still based here? What is the latest information available to the Government and is the Taoiseach happy that if these individuals are here, their activities are not illegal? Is the Taoiseach satisfied that, if such individuals were involved in planning terrorist activities, the matter has been addressed?
Last year potentially major terrorist attacks on transatlantic flights between the United States and Britain were foiled and this has implications for Ireland and Irish people who travel abroad. The Taoiseach said previously that the recommendations of the Emergency Planning Society would be costly to implement. Has the Taoiseach arranged to implement some of these measures, if not all of them, to help keep an eye on things here?
There were two major emergencies recently on motorways in County Kildare that were tragic and also caused massive inconvenience to hundreds of thousands of people. Have the outcomes of these emergencies been evaluated and emergency plans adapted accordingly to help deal with any unfortunate future incidents?
It is not appropriate to speculate on the matter raised in Deputy Kenny's first question but I assure the House that the Garda Síochána closely monitors the security situation, including threats to international security, on an ongoing basis. A small number of people are closely monitored and those under observation change from time to time. The situation in this regard has not changed greatly in the past year.
The Deputy's original question related to the National Security Committee and not emergency facilities. The only report that I have seen in regard to the crash was on the involvement of the national emergency committee and Naas General Hospital, which worked well. It is unfortunate that there was a fatality and a number of injuries but the system worked well from the perspective of emergency planning.
Regarding alternatives, many organisations involved, such as the Garda, local authorities and health groups, feel that their work and roles would be duplicated by an office of emergency planning to bring everything together, as is the case in some countries. What happens is they have a committee like the national security committee and other committees where they come together and co-ordinate their actions. They do this on an ongoing basis through direct contact and physical proximity meetings with each other. To replicate this in a major office or structure is not considered necessary by all of them.
In this regard, is the threat from terrorist groups more extensive than we are being told or is there another explanation for the frequency of resort to examining telephone records by the Garda Síochána, given the revelation some time ago that in 2006 alone there were 10,000 such requests by the Garda? This seems to be an extraordinary high number of such examinations by the Garda. Does the Taoiseach agree with the assistant Data Protection Commissioner who concluded that perfectly innocent people are having their private records pored over or can he give a logical explanation as to why there should be this frequency of resort to examining the private telephone records of citizens?
On national security and the question about people who are brought to the attention of the security forces because of national or international liaison with groups such as those I referred to earlier, there are not many such persons in the country. Some of them are in or out of the country and some of them have contacts with the country. The Garda is continually involved in monitoring ongoing subversion by, thankfully, a limited number of groups and, of course, there are criminal groups. I do not have a breakdown — this is a matter for the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform — but the Garda is monitoring criminal gangs, subversives and a small number of people who are or may be associated with international terrorism all the time. I do not have any details on the make up of the 10,000 or 20,000 figure.
Does the National Security Committee address the dangers to the health and safety of the Irish people from the British nuclear industry, including the site at Sellafield, and the threat that must be real from the fact that Britain is the holder of a nuclear arms arsenal? Has this matter been addressed, particularly in the context of a vote on 14 March at Westminster when the Labour Government experienced one of the largest rebellions from within its ranks since the outbreak of the war on Iraq and had to depend on Tory party support to see through its measure? Has the national security committee addressed this decision at Westminster given that Britain is intent on renewing and enhancing its nuclear arms holding? What plans does the Taoiseach have to address this matter with the British Prime Minister if it has not been addressed?
After the events of 11 September 2001 the Government set up an office of emergency planning to co-ordinate the work of various emergency services in preparing contingency plans. The office is chaired by the Minister for Defence and meets frequently to assist in that role. It oversees emergency planning generally to promote the best possible use of State resources and ensure compatibility between different emergency planning requirements. Any issues related to Sellafield are dealt with by the two relevant Departments, the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. In so far as I raise the Sellafield issue on behalf of the Government, I have had ongoing meetings and correspondence and there has been liaison between senior officials and the British Government, which continues.
What about their nuclear arsenal?
I call Deputy Sargent.
What about the weapons of mass destruction they hold?
That is outside the scope of the question. I call Deputy Sargent.
Is the Taoiseach not interested?
I have called Deputy Sargent.
It is well within the scope of the question. My question refers to the work of the National Security Committee. I want to know whether the Taoiseach is considering widening the remit of that committee. The issue is not just about an Islamic terrorist cell or what might be relevant in other countries. Is the Taoiseach, for example, considering the possible effects on national security if we could not access the oil supplies we need, and whether this needs to be part of the remit? Is he considering the incidents of water contamination in Galway, which will be exacerbated by climate change, with flooding and treatment plants unable to provide safe water supplies? Are these matters part of the remit of the committee? Where does the remit begin and end? It is time to reconsider the remit, given the changing circumstances in which we live.
Matters related to health or water schemes are dealt with in the emergency planning within individual Departments and are not part of the remit of the national security committee. The committee comprises representatives at the highest level of the Departments of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and Defence, the Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces, who examine areas of concern where there is a perceived threat to national security, whether of domestic or international origin. When the committee becomes aware of gaps or inadequacies in responses or preparations, it deals with these issues. It considers issues around international and national security and is not involved in day-to-day operational issues, which is the function of Departments, local authorities and State agencies.