Former member of the Defence Forces Lisa Smith has asked that the case against her be dropped.

The 37-year-old appeared at the Dublin District Court this morning.

Ms Smith, who left Ireland and married after she converted to Islam, was found in a Syrian refugee camp.

After a trek to Turkey with her young daughter, she was brought back to Ireland on 1 December, where she was arrested.

She has been charged that between 28 October 2015 and 1 December 2019 she was a member of an unlawful terrorist group "styling itself the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (Isil), also known as Isis, contrary to the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005.

She denies the charge.

Ms Smith was granted bail with strict conditions on 20 December, but remained in Limerick Prison until 31 December due to issues surrounding a €5,000 bail surety.



Her solicitor Peter Corrigan asked in court today that the Director of Public Prosecutions actively review the evidence against her and discontinue the charge.

He said it was the defence opinion that the evidence did not reach the threshold and there was not "a single piece of evidence amounting to a charge".

However, Judge John Hughes said this was a matter for the DPP, not a matter for this court.

A State solicitor told the court that it was a complicated and substantial case, and more time was required.

They said that they had applied for information from outside the jurisdiction and various mutual assistance requests had been made.

The judge acceded to a prosecution request "in the interest of justice" to grant the DPP another eight weeks to complete the book of evidence after he was told the investigation file was expected to be with the DPP in the coming weeks.

Ms Smith did not speak during the brief hearing.

She was remanded on continuing bail to appear again at the Dublin District Court on 4 March when the book of evidence is expected to be served.