Russia recruits Irish MP – media
Russian intelligence has recruited an Irish MP to work as a mole and emissary – and Irish Taoiseach (PM) Simon Harris says it doesn't surprise him at all.
Based on the information obtained by John Mooney and Politico, two Irish government and justice officials said the MP has not been arrested or charged because this person has not committed any crime by building relationships with Kremlin agents working in the huge Russian embassy in Dublin.
As such, in light of Irish defamation law being extremely favourable to the plaintiff, officials said that the MP's name should not be publicly disclosed.
When journalists asked Harris whether there was a Russian intelligence mole working in parliament, the Irish prime minister said he could not confirm this information but added: "It shouldn’t come as any surprise to any of us."
Harris noted that such efforts by Russian intelligence have intensified in Ireland, as well as in other countries, since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Ireland then expelled four Russian diplomats accused of recruiting intelligence agents in Irish political and business circles. In response, Moscow banned dozens of Irish politicians from entering Russia.
"Russia seeks to distort public opinion, and is active in relation to that across the world, [...] Ireland is not immune from that," Harris said.
Officials told Politico that the MP was recruited in 2019 as Russia sought to foment Brexit-related tensions between Ireland and the United Kingdom, particularly in the UK region of Northern Ireland.
Harris said he could not discuss the specifics of Irish intelligence regarding the MP, who was identified only as a current member of Ireland's two-chamber parliament, the Oireachtas.
"Obviously we never comment on security issues for very good reasons," he said.
Sergei Prokopiev, the Russian spy that allegedly recruited the MP, was among four Russian embassy staff expelled from Ireland in March 2022. All were identified as members of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) and were involved in espionage.
The Sunday Times reported that after the expulsion, Prokopiev continued to communicate with the Irish MP through a Russian agent who was periodically sent to Dublin to maintain a romantic relationship with the politician – a "honey trap" designed to discredit the target.
According to Politico, the politician is a member of the predominantly left-wing opposition, not the pro-Ukraine three-party government led by Harris.
The officials noted that police had ordered the MP to cease contact, but the person in question disobeyed. They also mentioned that an investigation into the MP’s actions revealed no evidence of them receiving money from the Russians or passing on any documents containing state secrets.
The Sunday Times reported that the Russians had recruited the MP, among other tasks, to establish contacts with illegal paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland, specifically with "loyalist" extremists from the British Protestant community.
An official commented that if this approach were confirmed, it would reveal the Russians' cluelessness regarding Ireland's political landscape. The official remarked that the MP in question "has as many contacts in loyalist paramilitary circles as Walter Mitty," referencing the fictional character known for his vivid fantasies.
As for Irish lawmakers in Brussels and Dublin, Russian intelligence services have long had many "useful fools".
Before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, many opposition MPs on the left of Irish politics generally held pro-Russian and anti-Ukrainian views. In response to the invasion, the Irish Republican Party removed more than a dozen previously pro-Russian and anti-NATO messages from its online platforms.
Even Irish President Michael Higgins and his wife have faced criticism for their pro-Kremlin remarks. Higgins is a member of the opposition Labour Party.
The main pro-Kremlin voices in the Irish parliament are situated on the far left of the political spectrum and include five socialists and Trotskyists who operate under the banner of People Before Profit-Solidarity. This group continues to accuse NATO and the EU of aggression and militarism towards Russia.
Two of the Kremlin's most prominent mouthpieces in Ireland, independent socialists Clare Daly and Mick Wallace, served as lawmakers in Dublin until 2019, when both were elected to the European Parliament. However, they lost their seats in this year's European Parliament elections.
On 4 September, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Simon Harris signed an agreement on support and cooperation between Ukraine and Ireland. Dublin will continue to provide non-lethal military assistance to Kyiv.
At the same time, Harris and Micheál Martin, Irish Foreign Minister and Defence Minister, announced a major new support package for Ukraine and its neighbours.
The €36 million package from Ireland will provide essential humanitarian assistance, support rehabilitation and possible recovery, and contribute to Ukraine's long-term goals, including peace, stability and political aspirations, the government said.