The threat of Islamist terrorism and actions taken by 'lone wolves' is of significant concern, Ireland's security watchdog has warned.
Extreme right-wing terrorism, as well as single-issue terrorism and extreme-left wing terrorism, is also of concern, Independent Examiner of Security Legislation George Birmingham said.
In its first annual report, the examiner said that Islamist terrorism is "a significant cause of concern, either because of the possibility of attacks within this jurisdiction ... and also the possibility of an attack on a neighbouring jurisdiction being planned or launched from this State".
The former Court of Appeal president warned that there is "unease about the activities of hostile state actors".
He said the possibility of actions by so-called "lone wolves" - whether motivated by terrorist ideology or not - must be considered.
Read the full report here
Mr Birmingham said the threat that Ireland faces has evolved in recent years and that "all told, the picture that presents is a complex and concerning one".
He described the threats as "multipronged" and also said that dissident republicans remain a "real concern" almost 30 years after the signing of the Good Friday agreement.
He highlighted a number of gaps in current legislation, including that there is no provision for intercepting messages over WhatsApp, Telegram or Snapchat or no legislative basis to access content of "data-based material", such as webpages or internet browsing history.
Mr Bermingham also provided a series of recommendations, including developing a legislative basis for the interception of digital communications and expanding postal interception to courier services.
The Independent Examiner of Security Legislation was set up to review the operation and effectiveness of security legislation, and reports annually to the Taoiseach.
Mr Justice George Birmingham was appointed as the first Independent Examiner last October.
Associate professor at UCD and Chair of the Digital Rights Alliance, TJ McIntyre, said: "Police have never had more investigative data available to them."
Speaking on RTÉ's Today with David McCullagh, he said: "In a way we're in an unusual situation now where police have never had more investigative data available to them, so taken as a whole we leave a lot of digital traces behind us whether it be on CCTV or on our own devices and so on."
He said there is more available for investigations than was ever there previously.
