Former employee at Shannon Airport reveals the airport is soft touch for terrorists

CLARE, Ireland - How vulnerable is Ireland to a terror attack? A former employee at the Shannon Airport has the answer to the question lingering in many minds across the country.

With a string of terror attacks gripping the neighbouring U.K. - Irish authorities have grown increasingly worried about whether and to what extent - the country will be vulnerable to terror.

Now, after the new Taoiseach and several ministers, complete decisions and announcements about the country’s official line on tackling terror - a former employee and a Limerick Councillor who worked at the Shannon Airport has some not-so-good news. 

Cllr Paul Keller, who used to work at the airport’s luggage X-ray section said that  

Keller has raised concerns that Shannon Airport is a soft touch for terrorists and his warning comes less than two weeks after the head of the Clare Garda Division claimed that he did not have enough resources to fully protect the Co Clare airport.

Further, reports revealed that gardai briefed members of the Limerick City and County Council’s joint policing committee about the local terror-threat level at a meeting held on Friday.

According to Cllr Keller, who was present at the meeting, there was a complete lack of security along the main airport approach road, as well as around the airport’s entrance.

He said, “I would be concerned of something happening at Shannon Airport. There’s no obstruction and no security check on anybody walking in the door.”

He is said to have further revealed that he feared the airport’s use by U.S. troops as a stopover could potentially be used as an excuse by terrorists to unleash an attack.

Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil TD and justice spokesman Niall Collins, who also attended the meeting said the mid-west region has “a growing diverse population.”

Collins reportedly said that while he was “reassured” by gardai that the local threat level was low, “to think that we are exempt from the likelihood of any terrorist attack or related incident, isn’t the case.”

In light of the briefing received, Retired detective Seán Lynch, who was elected mayor of the Metropolitan District of Limerick on Friday, sought to address the issue.

Lynch is said to have called for a specific “homeland security” unit to be set up by the Government. 

Meanwhile, Limerick Chief Supt David Sheahan, who briefed the JPC meeting, said he had “no intelligence whatsoever” of an imminent attack or an attack locally.