Ireland seems to have learned no lessons from the “Dubai affair” in relation to the fraudulent use of Irish passports, the Dáil has heard.
Fine Gael foreign affairs spokesman Sean Barrett sought a special notice or emergency Dáil debate today following revelations that six Irish passports may have been illegally used by members of a Russian espionage ring. The spy ring was uncovered in the US during the summer.
“I think this is a matter of grave urgency in view of the fact that the integrity of Irish passports is being brought into disrepute as a result of this ongoing failure on our part to guarantee security of a passport,” Mr Barret said.
His remarks followed foreign affairs questions in the Dáil when the passports controversy was on the order paper, but the issue was not reached before question time ended.
Last week gardai informed a female volunteer with the Irish charity To Russia with Love which works with orphans across Russia that her passport had been compromised.
US investigators broke up the Russian ring in June with the arrest of 10 people, all of whom were later deported as part of a spy swap deal with Russia.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin yesterday described as “disturbing” allegations that data from a number of Irish passports had been cloned.
In the Dáil today, Mr Barrett said Britain has dealt with this matter by other arrangements. "We seem to have learned no lessons from the Dubai affair," he said.
He was referring to the assassination in January of a senior Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai. An estimated 30 people were allegedly involved in planning and carrying out the killing of the man whom the Israelis accused for smuggling arms into Gaza and some eight Irish and 12 British passports were used in the operations, along with passports from France, Australia and Germany.
The Dún Laoghaire TD said he had sought an emergency debate on the issue and asked Ceann Comhairle Seamus Kirk if there was a “justifiable reason for refusing a special notice question” given “the gravity” of the issue.
Mr Kirk told him however that he had a parliamentary question on the order paper, but it had not been a priority question. Mr Barrett said the time had elapsed for the submission of a new question and he suggested to the Ceann Comhairle that “you might consider it again given the circumstances”.
Later Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny asked if Mr Martin would come into the House to make a statement and answer questions about the issue “which is of such importance in regards to the integrity of Irish passports”.
But Taoiseach Brian Cowen said the Minister had dealt with the issue and it was a matter for the House to decide the matter at question time.