Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 19 February 2014

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions

Security and Surveillance Issues: Minister for Justice and Equality

5:05 pm

Photo of Alan ShatterAlan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I presume the terms of reference for the review are being finalised as we sit here. It is important all colleagues in Cabinet agree to them. The judge will be able to ask people questions. It is my understanding that GSOC, Verrimus and Rits will co-operate. All documentation and information available to me will be furnished to the judge. If there is anything additional the review requires from GSOC it will furnish it. I assume the transcripts of this committee meeting and the previous one will be made available to the judge. I expect any questions required to be asked, can be asked.

While the judge will independently determine how to deal with matters, I would expect him first to read all the material to determine what questions need to be raised and who, if anybody, he needs to meet. The review will submit its report to my Department. I will then submit it to the Cabinet and it will be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas.

With regard to releasing additional documentation to this committee, one of the issues is that some of the documentation I have received is regarded as confidential by GSOC. I have no doubt that material can go to the judge. The difficulty with the Rits report I received is that it is peer-review. There are also aspects of it that should not get general distribution. Away from the heat of politics, the judge will review everything objectively and gives us whatever answers can be given.

Were the offices of GSOC bugged? The terms “anomalies”, “potential threats” and “vulnerabilities” were identified. There is no definitive evidence that the offices were under surveillance at all. I have not been given information that says they were bugged. It has been widely said in the Dáil and elsewhere over the past week that GSOC was bugged, so X, Y and Z follows on from that. I have no evidence that GSOC was bugged. People have been disappointed that I am not talking about GSOC having been bugged. I hope the judge dealing with this matter will address that issue in a manner in which there is full public confidence and that no one can suggest that any particular presentation is being made for any political reasons.

Despite all of the controversy, GSOC seems to be agreed on this and no member of this committee or the House suggests otherwise.
It seems to be the case that no single thing has been identified in GSOC as having been accessed. Arising out of this element, it says that its information systems have not been compromised. Nobody can identify anything arising out of a telephone call that has been accessed. When one cuts through all the issues and concerns, there is no substantive evidence that anything has got into the public domain that is confidential to GSOC other than the document leaked to The Sunday Times, which lit the fuse of this controversy. That seems to be the position.

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