THERE HAS BEEN a sharp rise in the numbers of dissident republicans arrested in Ireland last year while right-wing and jihadist terror suspects were also detained here, a new report has found. 

The figures are contained in Europol’s TE-SAT or the European Union Terrorism Situation and Trend Report which is compiled by the EU’s policing and security arm. 

There were 11 dissidents arrested, four right-wing extremists and four jihadists.

The dissident republican rise is shown when compared to figures for previous years – with six in 2020 and seven in 2021. 

The report found that the average age of dissident arrests was 39 years, and that they were of Irish and UK nationality. Europol found that all the arrested suspects were long standing members of republican groups.

There were no attacks by dissident groups in the EU in 2022.

EU trends

The report looks at terrorism holistically and examines trends across Europe. 

In a section regarding an overlap of left-wing extremists and separatists across the continent it found evidence of links between more left-leaning groups and dissidents.

In regard to Ireland it said: “Another example concerns left-wing extremists in Ireland who are campaigning against perceived British, EU and American imperialism and actively target senior citizens who have previously been involved in the Republican movement for recruitment purposes.”

The report looked at the issue of right-wing and left-wing terrorism. Both, it said, were gaining prominence.

It blamed multiple global crises, uncertainty among the population for the future and a “hyper connectivity”.

The arrest of four right-wing extremists in Ireland is scant on detail and there are no records in the report regarding statistics of prosecution outcomes.

There were no right-wing arrests in 2020 while there was one in 2021. 

In regard to how the right-wing groups were operating across Europe, the report found that online and offline propaganda was growing in the wake of the Covid-19 measures. 

The report recorded a drop in the amount of Jihadist inspired terrorism arrests in Ireland last year with just four suspects detained. This compares with 18 in 2020 and four in 2021. 

There are also concerns among European police forces that some of the groups may seek to exploit protest movements such as demonstrations around climate change and animals rights.

Also the report found that there was a “thinning delineation” between the various types of terror with competing ideologies now beginning to work closer together to achieve their aims.

The methodology for the TE-SAT involves compiling data direct from EU member states which includes arrests, police activity and open source information on activities by terrorist groups.