Mr. Simon O'Brien:

I do not like the term "bug" which conjures up a very old way of thinking about how surveillance may be conducted internally, with devices needing to be planted. If one thinks of the forward strides in technology, this old-fashioned word does not describe the nature of surveillance in this day and age and what it will be in the future.

I do not know who leaked the report, but I would certainly like to know. It is an outrage for somebody to take a secret document and I cannot understand a benign reason for wanting to put it in the public domain. I have launched an investigation and hope to get to the bottom of the matter. If somebody has leaked that sort of information, he or she needs to be brought to justice. I have every confidence in the Minister. I took the decision just before Christmas and got the final report to think through the ramifications of this and my reporting responsibilities. I had not informed the Minister of what I had done prior to publication of this issue. It was good journalism on the part of the media to raise this creditable question and I am quite happy to be called to account. I regret the fact that I did not inform the Minister, but I did it for the very best reasons. I could see down the line that even the mention of the fact that we had opened up an investigation into these security incidents had immense potential for further damage in what was already a strained relationship between the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission and An Garda Síochána. Unfortunately, where we are now is where I feared we would go had I reported the matter to the Minister who clearly has a responsibility to make this public. Upon my head I took that decision. I recorded that decision and have monitored it during the past few weeks and have worried about it. I made it with the very best of intentions. I think the people of the State are and should be horrified to think one State agency would be in any way surveilling another State agency. At present we have no evidence that An Garda Síochána was surveilling my organisation. As was picked up earlier, any language around this can be injurious to the men and women of An Garda Síochána. The members of the force do a fantastic job for the State and all of us. I am sure that when this type of story appeared, as it has, had I been the Commissioner of the Garda Síochána, I would have been furious. I take responsibility for this and I am quite happy to come before the committee and be called to account.