Footage of drones off coast during Zelenskyy visit may never be released

It is possible the public may not be shown official footage of unidentified drones flying off the Irish coast during Ukrainian president Zelenskyy’s visit to Dublin earlier this month, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has indicated.

The incident occurred on the night Mr Zelenskyy had flown into Dublin Airport, with crew on the naval vessel LÉ William Butler Yeats spotting several drones flying off the coast of Howth.

Speaking to reporters during a visit to Irish peacekeeping troops in Camp Shamrock in South Lebanon on Saturday, Mr Martin said he believed the Defence Forces had taken the correct decision in not shooting down the drones.

When asked by the The Echo when the public could expect to see Defence Forces footage of the incident, Mr Martin replied: “You’re assuming that you’re going to see it”.

Briefing

He added that any decision relating to security matters had to be done taking into account the best interests of the State, and he and senior ministers, including Tánaiste Simon Harris, had received “a very detailed briefing” on the incident last Wednesday.

“On the operational response from our personnel there, in my view, I think the correct decision was taken and the correct approach, and there’s an investigation under way at the moment, so obviously nothing can happen until that investigation is concluded,” he said.

“An Garda Síochána are now formally investigating that, I had a detailed briefing with the [Defence Forces Chief of Staff] and his team, and from the Garda Commissioner, in terms of the broader visit of President Zelenskyy, which in terms of security was a successful visit, it’s important to state that, and also to state that the drones did not constitute a threat to civilians, in any shape or form.” 

The Taoiseach said he was “absolutely backing” the Defence Forces’ decision not to fire on the drones.

“We have to trust in operational decision making, and I support the approach of the Defence Forces to this,” he added.

“It reflects a broader pattern of activity across Europe in terms of hybrid incidents of this kind, we’re not the first country in Europe in recent times to have drones emerging, and it’s an evolving situation.” 

Fractious

Asked about the fractious parliamentary party meeting at the start of the week following the publication of an internal review of Fianna Fáil’s doomed presidential election campaign, Mr Martin said he still intended to lead the party into the next election.

“The overwhelming view of the party was to concentrate and to focus on the issues that matter to the Irish people, that was the view of many across the party,” he said.

“Yes, we had to do what we had to do in terms of the review of the presidential election, but more fundamentally, TDs and senators are saying to me ‘continue doing what you are doing as Taoiseach in terms of focusing on the core issues facing the Irish people, housing, the infrastructure delivery, disability, child poverty, and also the wider issue of the international situation.” 

Recriminations have swirled through Fianna Fáil since its presidential candidate, former Dublin GAA football manager Jim Gavin, withdrew from the race following reports that he had an unpaid debt of €3,300 to a former tenant.

Because his decision to exit the race came after the official deadline to do so, Mr Gavin’s name remained on the ballot, and he subsequently polled 7.18% vote in the election.

Mr Martin had strongly supported Mr Gavin’s nomination, to the detriment of the campaign by Ireland South MEP Billy Kelleher to get the nod.

Last week saw scathing responses from Cork North Central TD Pádraig O’Sullivan and Cork East TD James O’Connor - both of whom are politically close to Mr Kelleher - following the publication of the party review.

Mr O’Sullivan had described any claims that due diligence had been appropriately conducted of Jim Gavin’s potential candidacy as “farcical”, while Mr O’Connor said the Taoiseach had “lost the dressing room”.

Mr Martin indicated he was not going to respond, saying he was moving on, before then adding: “I have a lot of experience of dressing rooms throughout my life, in Cork as well, and I know how to keep a dressing room”.