Discovery raises wider questions about the protection of Ireland’s ports and maritime approaches
Six people have been taken to hospital after being discovered inside a shipping container at Rosslare Europort.
The group, comprising five adults and one juvenile, was found in the trailer of a lorry after the vessel carrying it docked at the Co Wexford port at approximately 5 am on Thursday.
A distress call was reportedly made while the ship was still travelling to Rosslare, prompting gardaí and the National Ambulance Service to attend the port.
All six were brought to Wexford General Hospital for assessment. Three of the adults remained in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Ger Carthy, operations resource manager with the National Ambulance Service in Wexford, said two ambulances and three response teams attended the scene. He said the group may have been inside the container for up to three days.
Two of the adults have since been refused permission to enter the State.
Gardaí in Wexford are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident with assistance from the Garda National Immigration Bureau. The nationalities of those involved have not been disclosed.
It has not yet been officially established how the six entered the trailer. The discovery is likely to renew scrutiny of immigration and security controls at Ireland’s ports, as well as the coordination between gardaí, immigration authorities, Revenue, port operators and other State agencies.
The immediate investigation and immigration response fall under the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration. However, the incident also raises broader questions about whether Ireland is investing sufficiently in the protection of its ports, coastline and maritime approaches. Defence Minister Helen McEntee has responsibility for the State’s wider defence capacity, including the Naval Service and its ability to monitor activity in Irish waters and assist civil authorities when required.
Other European countries have increasingly treated aspects of border protection as national-security matters. Ireland faces a very different geographical and security environment. Its vulnerabilities centre on commercial ports and freight, airports, territorial waters and its open land border with Northern Ireland.
Routine immigration checks and the inspection of commercial vehicles remain civilian responsibilities. Nevertheless, the Rosslare Europort discovery is likely to add to the debate about whether Ireland’s civilian and defence agencies have the staffing, surveillance capabilities and coordination required to protect the State’s entry points.
