As reported by Ukrinform, this was reported by Politico with reference to two high-ranking Irish officials in the government and the judiciary.
According to Politico's sources, the lawmaker was recruited in 2019 as Russia sought to inflame Brexit-related tensions between Ireland and Great Britain, particularly in the British region of Northern Ireland.
The lawmaker was not arrested or charged because he did not commit any crime by building relationships with Kremlin agents working in the Russian embassy in Dublin. Sources said that due to Ireland's extremely plaintiff-friendly law, the name of the recruited MP should not be released.
When asked by journalists whether a Russian "mole" works in the Irish parliament, Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris replied that he could not confirm this information.
"This should not come as a surprise to any of us," added the head of the Irish government.
According to him, such efforts by Russian intelligence agents intensified in Ireland, as in other countries, after the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Ireland then expelled four Russian diplomats accused of recruiting intelligence agents in Ireland's political and business communities. In response, Moscow banned dozens of Irish politicians from entering Russia.
"Russia seeks to distort public opinion and is actively acting in this direction around the world. Ireland is not immune to this," Harris noted.
He added that he could not discuss the specifics of Irish intelligence on the lawmaker, who was identified only as a sitting member of Ireland's bicameral parliament (Oireachtas).
"Obviously we never comment on security matters for very good reasons," Harris explained.
The article says that the Irish MP was allegedly recruited by Russian spy Sergei Prokopiev, who was among four Russian embassy employees expelled from Ireland in March 2022. All of them were identified as employees of the Russian military intelligence GRU, engaged in espionage.
According to The Sunday Times newspaper, after the expulsion, Prokopiev continued to coordinate activities with the Irish legislator through a Russian spy who was periodically sent to Dublin to maintain a romantic relationship with the politician - a "honey trap" designed to compromise the target.
The publication reported that the Russians had recruited the lawmaker, among other things, to establish contacts with an illegal paramilitary group in Northern Ireland, particularly with "loyalist" extremists from the British Protestant side of the community.
According to Politico's sources, police ordered the deputy to cease contact, but he did not comply. At the same time, the investigation of the politician's behavior did not reveal any evidence that he received funds from the Russians or handed them documents that constitute a state secret.
Politico believes that the politician is a member of the mostly left-wing opposition, not the three-party government led by Harris, which supports Ukraine.
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