Reports emerged yesterday that a small group of Irish-based Muslim extremists have been playing a key role in supplying finances and logistical support to jihadist groups including the Islamic State.
It is suspected that around 12 individuals have been harbouring fighters from Britain and mainland Europe in Ireland, and supplying them with fake documents, including passports.
The Sunday Independent reported that an individual who frequently features in international terrorism bulletins, and is believed to be heavily involved in the finances of the Islamic State, has been living in south Dublin for over 15 years.
When speaking to The Pat Kenny Show, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Charlie Flanagan was asked if the individual mentioned in newspaper reports is in fact living in Dublin. He replied: "That's true - we're not immune. It's important that people remain vigilant, and that any information of a criminal nature is passed on to An Garda Síochána."
He added that apart from security operations, there are wider issues that need to be addressed to fight radical Islam, and that he believes that the issue is best addressed in the "pre-radicalisation stage" - in some terms through processes of "de-radicalisation."
The Minister added: "Ireland is not immune - we are not in the front line - there isn't any evidence of an imminent threat"
Mr Flanagan said that Minister for Justice, Frances Fitzgerald is being updated on a regular basis by the Garda Commissioner and she will brief the Cabinet on the issue.
The Minster expressed his belief that Irish passport holders who are involved in atrocities abroad should be subject to action under Irish criminal laws - saying that he would support the stripping of citizenship from those who bring Ireland "into disrepute."
The number of suspected jihadists that have travelled from Ireland to fight in conflicts in the Middle East has risen from an initial estimate of around 30 to around 50, according to the Sunday Independent.
Last year the Garda Special Branch established the Counter Terrorism International (CTI) unit to target groups supporting extremist operations in other countries. The unit works closely with its counterparts throughout the EU, and also with the CIA, and National Security Agency in the United States.
A source told the Sunday Independent: ""What you have is small groups of jihadis who cannot travel directly to Turkey, for access to Syria, arriving here, receiving support and money and then transiting through Ireland to the war zones. There is quite an elaborate support network based in Dublin and other major Leinster towns which is attracting the attention of security agencies in the rest of Europe and further afield."
The paper also reports that foreign intelligence agencies believe that extremists have been holding training camps in remote areas of Leinster.
