Dublin airport to hold major security review

The Dublin Airport Authority is to "fundamentally review" its security procedures following lapses exposed during an EU security audit which has been running at the airport since Monday.

The authority has also warned passengers that the more stringent security checks which have already been put in place will continue to cause delays such as those experienced yesterday.

However, the authority's chairman, Gary McGann, has criticised media leaks of the security breaches at the airport. Addressing a scheduled meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Transport Committee yesterday, he said the public did not benefit from such details entering the public arena.

"The leaking of them is somewhat unfortunate in the sense that security doesn't benefit by public discussion."

He said all security procedures were under urgent review, and an international monitoring firm would also be asked to validate all processes.

"We must address more rigorously and more creatively the challenges posed to us by increasingly stringent international security procedures and in light of the physical limitations of our existing terminal facilities.

"We will fundamentally review our process and procedures in training in the security area."

A security audit at the airport by officials from the European Civil Aviation Conference and the Department of Transport began on Monday and ends today. It involved officials concealing illegal items in clothing or in luggage and taking them through security checks.

A replica bomb concealed in luggage went unnoticed. Knives were concealed in one official's shoe and in the undergarments of another person. Security procedures failed to detect the items.