The authorities are concerned about espionage in Ireland, in particular from Russia, which supports extremist groups and creates mistrust of the government.
Irish police have stated that Russia is one of the few countries actively trying to conduct espionage activities on the territory countries.
RTÉ reports on this.
Assistant Commissioner Michael McElgann, responsible for state security, said they were particularly concerned about states spying on Ireland. According to him, Russia seeks to support extremist groups in the country and create mistrust of the government.
According to him, Russia is not only engaged in spying, but is also trying to steal state and industrial secrets, undermining Ireland's reputation. Police are keeping a close eye on suspected spies and are working closely with other European intelligence agencies to monitor the entry and exit of suspected spies.
He also noted that Ireland has diplomatic relations with these countries, however, given the events in Salisbury in the UK and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, many will be surprised if I say that Russia is one of these states.”
The Assistant Commissioner said that police are also monitoring Chinese activities in Ireland. He noted that despite good relations with China, the country is a global superpower and the EU views it as an economic competitor and a systemic rival on the world stage. According to him, Ireland is one of many countries whose security and intelligence services are interested in elements of the Chinese Communist Party's foreign policy, since its worldview is somewhat different from the West's.
Recall that the Swiss Federal Intelligence Service believes that the greatest espionage threat comes from the Russian secret services.
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