Two Government ministers and two fertility clinics in Dublin and Kildare recieved threatening letters and live shotgun cartridges in the post last month, it was confirmed today.
Minister for Enterprise and former health minister, Micheal Martin has been confirmed as the second minister to receive a sinister package from a previously unknown group calling itself the Irish Citizens' Defence Force.
Earlier today the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, revealed that a second minister had been in receipt of a similar package to that sent to the Minister for Health, Mary Harney, last month.
A statement from the Department of Enterprise said: "Minister Martin is the second person being referred to in media reports. The matter is now one for the gardaí."
Gardaí are investigating a number of other incidents in which the shotgun cartridges, threatening letters and one hoax device were sent to the offices of the two ministers and the fertility clinics.
Ms Harney's department was sent a live shotgun cartridge and a threatening letter by post on February 29th.
On the same day, the SIMS fertility clinic at Dundrum, Dublin, was also sent a threatening letter and a hoax device.
It is understood the letter to the Dundrum clinic was scribbled and contained offensive material accusing the clinic of destroying embryos.
Patients and staff were evacuated and the Army's Bomb Disposal Unit was called in. There were concerns the device would require a controlled explosion, but this later proved unnecessary. A week later one of the clinic's physicians received a shotgun cartridge and a letter containing threatening remarks.
A fertility clinic in Clane, Co Kildare, was also sent a letter on February 29th that threatened the safety of its staff and made references to the type of work being carried out there.
Dr Tony Walsh of the SIMS clinic this afternoon described those who sent the letters as "social terrorists".
Speaking on RTÉ radio, Dr Walsh said the letter contained an accusation that the clinic was "murdering embryos" and called on the Government to introduce legislation that would define clearly the status of an embryo in Irish law to protect those working in reproductive medicine.
He said there was a history in Ireland of a "crank element" where reproductive medicine was concerned, including when the pill was first introduced into the state and said: "It seems to be that reproduction and fringe groups go hand in hand."
A long-time advocate for clearer legislation in this area, Dr Walsh said it was not easy to practice reproductive medicine with "this vagary of legislation in the background".
"Indecision and failure of the legislators to move quickly on this allows fringe elements such as these people...to mount an operation like this. Now that it's hit home with the politicians, it might give them some idea of what it's like at the coal face," he said.