ISIS bride Lisa Smith needs to be vetted when she lands on Irish soil to ensure she is not a security risk, former justice minister Frances Fitzgerald warned yesterday.
The ex-Tanaiste, who attended an event marking the Sikh festival of Vaisakhi in Dublin, said the Government needs to be sure about her current
attitude and beliefs on her return.
Ms Fitzgerald told the Irish Mirror: “I think we have to have protocols in place in relation to returning people who have been involved with ISIS.
“We have to be absolutely sure about their attitudes and current beliefs.
“We have to be very clear about our own standards, beliefs and values.”
The former minister, who has been put forward by her party for the European election, added: “And if people break those, you need to go through protocols and discussion when that person comes back and they have to be assessed from a security point of view.”
Security sources have said the Government is in the final stages of bringing Ms Smith and her two-year-old daughter home to Ireland.
The 37-year-old, from Dundalk, Co Louth, is said to be in “rapidly deteriorating conditions in the camp where she has been sheltering” and her return is now a matter of “urgency”.
Irish ISIS bride Lisa Smith says she 'made a mistake' as she begs for return to Ireland
When asked if she was happy the former Irish Army soldier would return home, Mrs Fitzgerald said: “Well I wouldn’t use that language, what I would say is she has to be assessed.
“That’s just part and parcel, if you choose to go with somebody like ISIS, who committed horrific crimes, you have to be very clear that anybody returning does not pose a security risk.
“Generally speaking you don’t want to create Stateless people, that doesn’t help world peace or working with other countries. It’s the best interest of the child to be looked after in this situation.”
Meanwhile, there are concerns for Ms Smith’s daughter following reports from the International Rescue Committee the majority of deaths in
the Syrian camp are children who are under the age of five.
Gardai will quiz ISIS bride Lisa Smith when she arrives back in Ireland
The main cause of death is malnutrition, dehydration and pneumonia.
International Rescue Committee’s Middle East Advocacy director Misty Buswell, said: “The IRC and other agencies are doing all they can to help the new arrivals, but Al Hol camp is now at a breaking point.
“At least 100 people, overwhelmingly children, have died en route to
al Hol camp or soon after arriving.
“Two-thirds of the deaths are babies and infants under five years old.
“However, it is unknown how many children may have died earlier in the journey.”
