The Taoiseach has said unionist parties should respect the independence of the judiciary after they criticised a decision to grant bail to a woman charged with possessing military-grade explosives.

Isobella Perrie Sullivan, 25, from Clane, Co Kildare, appeared at Trim District Court, Co Meath, last Friday charged with possession of explosives. The charge followed the discovery of Semtex and a detonator in a bag in a car stopped by gardaí on the N2 at Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, two days earlier. Her solicitor told the court she had been asked to carry the bag to Northern Ireland and was unaware of its contents, claiming she had been manipulated.

The court released Ms Sullivan on bail with conditions including a 15,000-euro independent surety, surrender of her passport, a curfew, daily sign-in at Naas garda station, and a prohibition on contact with members of Saoradh or the New IRA.

DUP leader Gavin Robinson wrote to the Irish Justice Minister arguing the decision undermines public confidence and questioned whether sufficient weight was given to the seriousness of the offence. UUP leader Jon Burrows also said he would write to the minister, stating that public confidence requires justice to be seen to be done. TUV MLA Timothy Gaston described the decision as profoundly concerning and asked how granting bail in such a case serves public safety interests.

Speaking in Dublin, the Taoiseach praised gardaí for intercepting what he called a potential significant attack. He said the courts must be allowed to operate independently, and that this principle applies in both the Republic and Northern Ireland.