Ireland Under "Significant Threat" of Islamic Terrorist Attacks, Says Security Watchdog - 23/04/2026

The State’s national security watchdog has warned that Islamist terrorism is a “significant cause of concern”, citing the risk of attacks in Ireland or plots being co-ordinated here against neighbouring countries.In his first report as Independent Examiner of Security Legislation, former Court of Appeal president George Birmingham said such attacks had taken place in recent years and that the threat of lone actors also required consideration.In his foreword, he said Ireland’s security framework had been shaped largely during a period when the primary ­focus was on the IRA, but warned that the threat landscape had since broadened significantly. While dissident republican activity remained “a real concern”, he said the range of risks facing the State today was “far broader”. We were joined on The Agenda this morning by Security Correspondent at The Irish Examiner, Cormac O’Keeffe, who is going to tell us more about this. We were also joined by former Irish Army soldier & defence analyst, Declan Power, who spoke to us in more detail about how vulnerable we really are here in Ireland to an attack like this and what can be done to tighten security up in case something like this did ever happen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.