Irish premier Micheál Martin has expressed confidence that two major political summits being hosted in Dublin next week will pass off safely.
Mr Martin’s comments came after several Irish media outlets received hoax bomb threats on Friday at the end of a week that saw airlines across parts of Europe also targeted with hoax bomb alerts, among them flights that departed from Dublin.
The Irish authorities will mount their largest ever security operation next week when more that 50 prime ministers will visit Dublin for the European Political Community summit on Thursday.
That is followed the next day by an informal meeting of the EU Council. The events are being held in the Irish capital as part of Ireland’s six-month presidency of the EU Council.
National broadcaster RTÉ was among the media organisations targeted with a threatening email on Friday morning – prompting a security alert that led to the evacuation of its TV and radio studios and offices in Dublin and programmes going off air for a period.
With staff allowed to return later in the day, and full broadcasting resuming, Mr Martin appeared on RTÉ One’s flagship Late Late Show on Friday night to speak about the incidents.
He was asked whether he remained confident that the huge security operation being mounted for the European summits could guarantee their safety.
“We’re confident that will go off safely,” he said.
“I would say it’s the largest ever security operation in the history of the state. It would be larger than the visit of a US president, for example. Over 50 prime ministers for the European Political Community meeting.”
He added: “So combined (the EPC meeting and the informal EU summit), it’s a huge security operation, and huge preparation has gone into this by the Garda, by the Defence Forces, by the Cyber Security Centre and so on.”
The Taoiseach said it was too early to say whether there is a Russian connection to the bomb hoaxes that were sent to media outlets.
But Mr Martin said the increase in hybrid attacks witnessed across Europe in recent times are undoubtedly linked to Russia.
“We can’t be too specific about today yet in terms of who’s responsible,” the Fianna Fáil leader said.
He added: “As far back as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, since then the European continent has changed. The level of what we call hybrid attacks, the volume of those attacks have increased exponentially, and the bulk of those were felt in the eastern part of Europe, in the Baltics, in Poland.”
Mr Martin continued: “There’s a general view that all of the increases in hybrid attacks has a Russian connection to it. I just can’t say that specifically today in respect of what happened to RTÉ, that’s my point.”
The Taoiseach said the hoaxes to media outlets and airlines and the hacking of supermarket refrigeration systems this week were all co-ordinated.
As well as RTÉ, threats were also sent to Virgin Media, Newstalk and the Irish Independent,
Gardaí were called to the scene at RTÉ’s Donnybrook campus in south Dublin on Friday morning. Sniffer dogs were used in searches of the area, which was later declared safe.
RTÉ Radio One went off air around 9am on Friday and replaced its programme Today With David McCullagh with a pre-recorded programme of music.
The show returned later in the morning, with McCullagh presenting from a mobile broadcasting truck in the car park as gardaí continued to search the RTÉ buildings.
Staff including radio and television presenters at the Montrose campus were told to leave the studio buildings after the email was received.
Children being looked after in a creche on site were also evacuated.
RTÉ director-general Kevin Bakhurst joined staff members outside the station’s mobile broadcast vehicle as they awaited updates of the search.
“On the basis of the information we had, we decided that we wanted to put the safety of the staff first and evacuate the buildings,” he said.
“It’s a disgraceful attack on the media, on free media, and unfortunately, probably where it comes from, they don’t really appreciate the importance of free media.”
McCullagh told listeners the threat warned of a bomb which would explode within 45 minutes.
RTÉ presenter Sarah McInerney said the sender of the email claimed to have been part of a group responsible for other recent threats against airlines, and had claimed an operative had planted an explosive device in the building.
Ireland’s Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan said the threats were being taken “very seriously” and are being investigated by gardaí.
“Europe has increasingly become the target of different forms of hybrid attacks, which are evolving in complexity and sophistication,” he said in a statement.
“To counter these threats, it is important to strengthen our co-operation and co-ordination.
“Threats of this nature are completely unacceptable and every effort will be made to identify those responsible.”
A Garda work-to-rule action for the duration of next week’s high profile events has been directed by a representative organisation for rank-and-file members, while public sector workers are planning a nationwide strike on Thursday.
Tánaiste Simon Harris said the Government is “alive” to the risks associated with the types of threats received by Irish media outlets on Friday.
“I do want to assure the people of this country is that this is an issue being taken very seriously by the gardaí, by our security forces and our cyber experts,” he told Cork 96FM.
“They’re working now on this issue and of course they’ll be liaising as appropriate with European counterparts as well.
“The priority is that people are safe, but we need to work to identify the culprits as well.
“I want people to know that we’re alive to these risks.”
Seamus Dooley, the secretary of the National Union of Journalists in Ireland, said the threat was a “deeply disturbing” attack on press freedom.
A Garda spokesperson said: “An Garda Síochána is aware of a threat made against media organisations here and in Europe.
“An Garda Síochána has been liaising with the Irish media organisations and the threats will be investigated.”
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