The Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, said he had not received "a scintilla of evidence" to suggest a link between anyone in the Republic and the attacks in the US on September 11th.
Mr O'Donoghue warned "the impression should not be given under any circumstances that there is a link between any individual living in this jurisdiction" and the attacks.
He told the Dβil the Garda had equipment available to them, which would enable them to "protect the security of the State". But Fine Gael Justice spokesman Mr Alan Shatter claimed they would not have protective clothing or equipment if Ireland suffered fallout from biological or chemical attacks.
Mr Shatter also claimed the Garda had not maintained proper surveillance on up to 40 non-nationals reported to have links with terrorist organisations, but that the army had kept proper surveillance on them.
The Minister said the Garda had maintained surveillance for several years on a number of non-nationals whose activities were considered to warrant it.
He stressed, however, that "not a scintilla of evidence has been made available to me which suggests that any individuals in this jurisdiction had any link to the atrocity which occurred in the United States of America".
Mr Shatter had asked the Minister to confirm reports that about 40 people of Middle Eastern background who had links to terrorist organisations were present in the Republic. These included, he suggested, a fund-raiser for Osama Bin Laden who recently vacated a house in south Dublin but shredded his documentation before leaving.
The Minister said the State had a substantial body of anti-terrorism legislation. "If there are individuals moving about the country who do come under international or domestic suspicion, for that matter, the Garda carry out their functions dutifully."
