A judge has told a woman that there is a greater risk of being knocked down and killed by a car on the streets of Ennis than being killed in a terrorist attack in London.
Judge Patrick Durcan made his comments at the family law court in Ennis where a mother was opposing the release of passports for her two children so they can go on holiday to London with their father.
Pamela Clancy, solicitor for the mother, said her client was objecting to the London holiday over the threat of a terrorist attack.
Ms Clancy said the terror threat level in the UK was currently at its second highest level of ‘severe’ which meant an attack “is highly likely”.
Ms Clancy said her client’s concerns about the planned holiday arise from recent terror incidents in London and Manchester, where she said young people were specifically targeted in an attack at an Ariana Grande concert.
In the case, the children reside with their father but the mother has their passports.
Shíofra Hassett, solicitor for the father, said the children had been with their father on holidays to London before and the costs of the holiday was being part funded by relatives they will be staying with.
Judge Durcan said he “totally sympathised” with the position of the mother but said his own wife and daughter were travelling to London. “The reality is that is there is a greater risk of being knocked down by a car in Ennis than suffering a fatality in a terror attack.”
He added he could not hold with the mother in the case. Solicitors for the parents produced a consent order in the court that allowed the release of the passports so the holiday could proceed. The order specified that the children and mother stay in daily contact during the trip.
