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30/06/2010
Russian Espionage Scandal Used Irish Passports
It has emerged that at least one false Irish passport was used by a Russian spy ring allegedly operating in the US.
The passport is said to have been passed to a Richard Murphy, who is among 11 people currently under trail in Manhattan Federal court, charged with being a Russian spy.
The department said yesterday it had learned one of the people arrested is alleged to have travelled on a forged Irish passport. A spokesman said it was seeking more information on the allegations.
According to reports today, Murphy, who was born in Philadelphia and lives in New Jersey, flew from Newark to Rome last February, where he was instructed to collect an Irish passport in the name of Eunan Gerard Doherty before flying on to Moscow, according to the criminal complaint filed by FBI officers.
This morning, Fine Gael Foreign Affairs Spokesman Billy Timmins TD called on Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin to clarify the situation and asked the Minister contact the Russian and US Ambassadors to Ireland in order to determine the background to the reports.
Mr Timmins said: "This highlights once again the vulnerability of Irish passports. It's only five months since we learned that eight Irish passports were used by a Mossad unit which carried out the assassination of Hamas leader Mahmoud al Mabhouh in a Dubai hotel last January.
"The Minister must state what steps he is taking to address the fraudulent use of Irish passports. He must now publish the Garda and Passport Office reports on the eight forged Irish passports."
Mr Timmins added that major questions remained about the security of Irish passports, particularly given the huge numbers of lost and missing documents. The Fiine Gael TD revealed that in 2009, over 33,000 passports were reported as lost, stolen or mislaid representing 6% of all passports issued in 2009.
"I expect the Minister to address the matter with the utmost urgency," he added.
Earlier this month, the Government expelled an official at the Israeli embassy in Dublin in protest over the use of forged Irish passports by suspects in the killing of a Hamas official in Dubai.
(DW/BMcC)
The passport is said to have been passed to a Richard Murphy, who is among 11 people currently under trail in Manhattan Federal court, charged with being a Russian spy.
The department said yesterday it had learned one of the people arrested is alleged to have travelled on a forged Irish passport. A spokesman said it was seeking more information on the allegations.
According to reports today, Murphy, who was born in Philadelphia and lives in New Jersey, flew from Newark to Rome last February, where he was instructed to collect an Irish passport in the name of Eunan Gerard Doherty before flying on to Moscow, according to the criminal complaint filed by FBI officers.
This morning, Fine Gael Foreign Affairs Spokesman Billy Timmins TD called on Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin to clarify the situation and asked the Minister contact the Russian and US Ambassadors to Ireland in order to determine the background to the reports.
Mr Timmins said: "This highlights once again the vulnerability of Irish passports. It's only five months since we learned that eight Irish passports were used by a Mossad unit which carried out the assassination of Hamas leader Mahmoud al Mabhouh in a Dubai hotel last January.
"The Minister must state what steps he is taking to address the fraudulent use of Irish passports. He must now publish the Garda and Passport Office reports on the eight forged Irish passports."
Mr Timmins added that major questions remained about the security of Irish passports, particularly given the huge numbers of lost and missing documents. The Fiine Gael TD revealed that in 2009, over 33,000 passports were reported as lost, stolen or mislaid representing 6% of all passports issued in 2009.
"I expect the Minister to address the matter with the utmost urgency," he added.
Earlier this month, the Government expelled an official at the Israeli embassy in Dublin in protest over the use of forged Irish passports by suspects in the killing of a Hamas official in Dubai.
(DW/BMcC)
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Fine Gael are calling for the alleged Russian Spies who are believed to have used forged Irish passports to be charged and tried in Ireland. This week, 10 alleged Russian spies are facing a US trail after Intelligence services tracked their movements and infiltrated the group.
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Fine Gael are calling for the alleged Russian Spies who are believed to have used forged Irish passports to be charged and tried in Ireland. This week, 10 alleged Russian spies are facing a US trail after Intelligence services tracked their movements and infiltrated the group.
02 February 2011
Diplomat Expulsion Prompts Russian Retribution
A Russian diplomat has been expelled from the country's embassy in Ireland after its spies were identified using stolen Irish passports.
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02 July 2008
Over 400,000 NI People Claim 'Dual' Passports
Almost half a million Northern Ireland resident have claimed dual passports in the last 10 years. The Irish Government has revealed that around 402,658 citizens from the North have claimed, or renewed, Republic passports since the inception of the Good Friday Agreement, in 1998.
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Irish Passports 'Connection' In Hamas Killing
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Three Irish passports-holders have been connected to the assassination team allegedly responsible for killing a senior Hamas official in his Dubai hotel room last month, according to the Emirate's police it emerged today.
16 May 2008
'Large Irish Presence' At Cannes
The focal point for the Irish film industry at the Cannes Film Festival, the Irish Pavilion, has opened again for business this week, with over 200 of the leading lights of the Irish film industry flying out to the festival to promote and sell new Irish cinema.
'Large Irish Presence' At Cannes
The focal point for the Irish film industry at the Cannes Film Festival, the Irish Pavilion, has opened again for business this week, with over 200 of the leading lights of the Irish film industry flying out to the festival to promote and sell new Irish cinema.
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Ireland WeatherToday:The day will be very windy with strong to gale force westerly winds becoming occasionally severe along the north coast. Sunny spells will be interspersed with scattered showers. Maximum temperature 8 °C.Tonight:West to northwest gale force winds, severe along the north coast, will continue overnight. Frequent showers persist, merging into longer periods of rain at times and turning wintry. Minimum temperature 1 °C.
