Be vigilant over terror in our midst

IT is very worrying that up to 20 Islamic State fighters may be looking to return to Ireland since the terror’s group’s collapse in Syria and Iraq.

The Department of Justice confirmed to the Irish Mirror that threat levels are being kept under constant and active review and it shows we cannot afford to be complacent.

After the terror group was driven from its stronghold in Mosul, security chiefs feared its fighters would slip away only to reappear to cause carnage and chaos around the globe.

Yet it is only a small number of people who support extremism and have given us a reason to be more concerned about our security.

Just last week a man in Waterford Hassan Bal pleaded guilty to transferring money to IS through Western Union and An Post accounts.

The Garda’s CTI unit – part of the Special Detective Unit – has been very busy recently thwarting international terrorism.

The collaboration between the Garda National Immigration Bureau, Crime and Security and the Defence Forces Military Intelligence seems to be working and that is encouraging

It is vitally important the authorities here are in constant communication with their counterparts in the UK and in Europe and Interpol to ensure that we can exchange information and can keep stay one step ahead of extremists.