Sir, – Edward Burke’s otherwise excellent opinion piece in The Irish Times (October 24th) featured the rather misleading headline “It’s a mistake to dismiss the Cobalt allegations as Carry on Spying”.
In the article, Edward refers to an interview I gave on Morning Ireland and quotes me by name in the article as saying the matter of an alleged Russian spy as “potentially embarrassing” but more like the comedy film Carry on Spying in “terms of the gravity of it”.
Listeners to RTÉ will know that I gave a much broader context to the allegations as set out in a Sunday newspaper with regard to acts of “espionage” in our national parliament.
Far from dismissing concerns about Ireland’s security, as a politician, journalist and academic, for more than 20 years, I have been one of Ireland’s foremost advocates for proper investment in our defence and intelligence infrastructure and personnel.
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Ireland’s intelligence apparatus is woefully inadequate and I wholeheartedly agree with Edward Burke’s arguments in favour of a Joint Oireachtas Committee on Intelligence and Security and to develop our capacity to carry out security vetting.
I know contributors do not write the headlines that accompany their articles, so I hope I have clarified any suggestion that I would “dismiss” security concerns around espionage, from many interested states, in all areas of Irish political, economic, cultural and – ahem – academic life. – Yours, etc,
SENATOR TOM CLONAN,
Independent Senator on TCD Panel,
Seanad Éireann,
Leinster House.
.