Lisa Smith: The Louth woman is in a Syrian camp with her daughter

The repatriation of Isil bride and former Defence Forces recruit Lisa Smith to Ireland is set to be fast-tracked following Kurdish demands.

The Kurds want European- born Isil sympathisers to be sent home in groups.

Kurdish fighters operate the camps where Isil brides, sympathisers and fighters are now being held in northern Syria.

They warned they want to ease pressure on swelling camp numbers by shipping home European detainees in groups rather than as individuals.

One Government source indicated that the transfer of small groups of Isil sympathisers to a third country such as Jordan or Turkey, for onward repatriation, will prove much faster than protracted individual transfers.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Tánaiste Simon Coveney both indicated efforts were now under way to get the Louth-born woman and her two-year-old daughter Ruqayya back to Ireland.

Ms Smith (37), who served in the Air Corps and worked on the Government jet, moved to Isil-controlled northern Syria shortly after her conversion to Islam.

The US, staunch allies of the Kurds in the battle against Isil, has warned European countries they need to accept back their nationals who travelled to Syria and Iraq.

Ireland is liaising with groups including the International Red Cross and Red Crescent to facilitate the transfer of Ms Smith to a third country for onward repatriation. There are traditionally strong links between Ireland and Jordan, though Turkey is viewed as a more logical transfer point.

Irish Independent