Tanaiste denies threat from Russian ships

TANAISTE Micheal Martin has denied there is any threat from Russian ships and submarines operating in our coastal waters.

- FERGHAL BLANEY

Four vessels from Vladimir Putin's country were officially monitored by the Defence Forces just off the southern coast of Ireland, including one military boat, again last week.

It is also known that Russian submarines often lurk beneath the waves of our territorial waters, but it is not known when or where these covert vessels enter and leave them.

The Foreign Affairs Minister was speaking after an MEP from his own party, Cork's Billy Kelleher, wrote to him.