State security: The National Security Council, made up of the country's most senior security and defence personnel, held an emergency meeting yesterday to discuss the implications of yesterday's attack on Dublin.
Despite the meeting, the Government last night moved to assure the public that there was no evidence of an increased terrorist threat to the State.
The security council consists of Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy, Chief-of-Staff of the Defence Forces Jim Sreenan, the secretary to the Government Dermot McCarthy, and the secretaries general of the Departments of Justice and Defence.
It is the most senior security group within the State and is responsible for overseeing responses to any potential security threat to the State.
Meanwhile, a separate group responsible for detailed planning to deal with major terrorist incidents, the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning, is to meet on Wednesday to review the current terrorist threat.
Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea, who chairs the taskforce, confirmed he had called a meeting of the body. "Wednesday's meeting will reassess and review Ireland's 'threat assessment' which currently remains low, and I have no reason to believe that the situation will change. Ireland has excellent intelligence and security measures in place, and this country's threat assessment is low."
The taskforce was established after the September 11th attacks in 2001. A national emergency plan is now in place, and is regularly reviewed.