THE DISCOVERY of a live bomb near the Aughinish Alumina refinery should be a wake-up call to test whether we have the resources to respond to such a threat, a County Limerick TD has said.
And people have “a right to be scared” following the discovery of a viable bomb at Aughinish Alumina, according to Independent Ireland TD Richard O’Donoghue, who called for a dedicated taskforce in response to the threat.
Deputy O’Donoghue wants the taskforce to identify potential targets and assess Ireland’s ability to respond following the terrifying incident.
Gardaà said they were alerted to the bomb after its discovery at the County Limerick refinery around 3.30pm last Friday (July 4), and a cordon, in conjunction with the army’s bomb disposal team, was established until the scene was declared safe.
Gardaà were at one point investigating the possibility that the bomb could have been a reaction to Russia’s largest ever aerial bombardment on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv last Thursday night, but it is understood that this is no longer the case.
Speaking to the Limerick Post, Deputy O’Donoghue said there is widespread concern amongst locals following the discovery of the live bomb, adding that “families have a right to be scared”.
The Limerick TD said he was due to meet with the Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, on Wednesday (July 9) to raise the issue and to assess Ireland’s readiness to respond to potential threats in the future.
“We are used to watching these kind of incidents unfold on our TV screens, but now that we’ve got a taste of it, something must be done,” Deputy O’Donoghue hit out.
“Ireland can be slow to respond to these sorts of incidents, so we have to ask whether or not we as a country have the facilities and relevant people trained up to deal with it if something were to happen.
“This is a warning, and we need to act.”
The area where the bomb was found, at the sports and social club belonging to Aughinish Alumina, is close to a public nature walking trail.
A suspect arrested following the discovery of the bomb and questioned the Offences Against the State Act, who was subsequently released without charge, is understood to be linked to the discovery of a number of other bombs both north and south of the border in recent years.
