Three new terrorism offences have been created in legislation introduced in the Dáil by Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald. They cover public provocation to commit a terrorist offence, as well as recruitment and training for terrorism.
Ms Fitzgerald said the new offences were particularly relevant to the nature of the current threat posed to Europe by international terrorism. “There are many who, while playing no part in actual acts of terrorism, encourage others to do so,” she added. “It is important to ensure that Ireland is not seen as a haven for such activities and that we have strong laws in place to deal with this threat.”
The Minister was speaking at the opening of the second-stage debate on the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill. She
said that while the threat to Ireland from international terrorism was generally considered to be low, the Garda kept it under continuous review in the light of ongoing developments and took all appropriate measures.
“They have the full support of the Government which is determined that all practical steps are taken to deal with any threat,” she added. “Assessment of the threat level is based on a range of factors including current intelligence, recent events, and what is known about terrorist intentions and capabilities.”
The Minister said terrorism was a constant threat to the fundamental values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law. There was considerable concern across Europe and elsewhere at the phenomenon of individuals travelling to conflict areas in the Middle East and the potential threat they might present on their return from conflict areas.
She said the recent horrific events in France, Belgium and Denmark had illustrated the serious threat posed by violent extremists in a European context.
Ms Fitzgerald said the number of European foreign fighters was currently estimated to be in the region of 3,500-4,000, with the focus of attention on the conflict zones in Syria and Iraq. She said that the compilation of accurate statistics relating to the numbers of actual foreign fighters was problematic.
