Defence Minister says Ireland ready for security threats ahead of EU summits

Defence Minister Helen McEntee said the Government is “absolutely prepared to respond to any type of risk or threat” as more than 50 European leaders arrive in Dublin for two summits next week.

Her comments follow bomb hoaxes targeting media organisations in Dublin on Friday and recent threats against aircraft across Europe. Sources told the Irish Examiner that security services are bracing for a possible escalation, which could include the planting of suspect or hoax devices intended to cause chaos as part of a wider European campaign.

McEntee spoke at the Fine Gael Ard Fheis in Cork, praising the work of the gardaí, the Defence Forces and other agencies throughout the Irish Presidency. She said the gardaí are leading security operations and will work closely with partners and allies across a range of services and agencies.

The city will host the European Political Community meeting on Thursday, followed by an informal gathering of European heads of state on Friday. While it remains “hard to tell at this early stage” who is behind the media bomb hoaxes, McEntee noted that many hybrid attacks are being attributed directly to Russia and stressed the importance of identifying the perpetrators.

Source: Irish Examiner. Photo: Mark Dalton / Pexels.