Ireland’s deputy premier ‘never told’ about alleged Russian spy

Ireland’s deputy premier has said he was never told about an alleged spy in the Irish parliament.

It comes after a report on Sunday that Russian intelligence recruited an Irish politician to act as an agent during the Brexit negotiations.

The Sunday Times reported that a “honeytrap” was used to recruit the politician dubbed Cobalt with one of the aims being to undermine relations between Britain, Ireland and the EU.

The paper also reported that while the Irish military and security services identified the potential agent they remain in the country’s parliament.

Taoiseach Simon Harris has said the state security services take allegations of Russia seeking to influence an elected representative “very seriously”, while Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said the identity of the spy should be publicly revealed.

Speaking in the Irish Parliament on Thursday, Tanaiste and Minister for Defence Micheal Martin said he did not know the identity of the alleged spy.

Responding to a question from Aontu leader Peadar Tobin, Mr Martin said he was taoiseach on the dates of the alleged activity referenced, and said he was “never told and never briefed that there was a spy in the Oireachtas”.

“I’m actually very surprised at the degree to which everybody herd-like have just grabbed on the story and said, ‘who is the person’,” he said.

“I’m absolutely amazed.

“There is a more fundamental question to be asked, which I am going to ask as Minister for Defence because as Minister for Defence I have never received a security briefing saying there is a spy in the Oireachtas.

“There may be, there may not be but I have never been briefed.

“There is an issue of accountability in terms of our intelligence services because if this is true then someone gave that information out and I don’t think that’s acceptable, and I think there is a broader issue that future governments and the Oireachtas at large need to be very clear eyed about the need in a democracy that intelligence services have an accountability chain and are accountable.

“I would argue, and there is a national security strategy being developed, I would argue we lack that at the moment.

“I am not comfortable with the situation pertaining to intelligence.

“It is very important that we have intelligence, it’s very important in terms of the external dimension and our defence forces do a very good job and a very necessary job for the protection of our country.

“I have concerns about how all of this has emerged into the public arena.”

Mr Toibin described “startling revelations” from the Tanaiste.

“For the Minister for Defence to openly declare on the floor of the Dail that here is an issue of accountability with our intelligence service, is disturbing,” he said.

“He said that we lack an accountability chain within the intelligence service.

“This too is a stunning admission.

“He said that he is not comfortable with the situation that pertains.

“This is incredibly serious and very worrying that the minister responsible for the national security, questions its oversight.

“Ireland is one of the only countries in Europe that does not have a National Security Strategy.

“There is no National Security Oversight Committee in the Dail and now by the Tanaiste’s admission there is weakness in oversight at government level.

“That the Tanaiste has asked this question from the floor of the Dail and not lifted up the phone to the officials responsible for intelligence, is also extremely concerning.

“The Tanaiste seems to be commenting rather than fixing.

“This is not good enough.”

Earlier this week, Mr Harris said while he was limited in what he could say on matters relating to national security, he said Ireland is not immune to such incidents.

“Russia is a country that seeks to actively influence public debate and discourse, and I think it’s also the statement of fact to say that that level of activity has increased by Russia since their brutal illegal invasion of Ukraine, and therefore the gardai and our security services obviously monitor these matters very closely,” he said.

He added: “There are bad actors who seek to influence and distort public discourse.”