Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I was alarmed to read the Irish Council for Civil Liberties' statement following Vodafone's publication of this international report. Ireland is the only one of 29 countries that denied them the ability to publish what the State had sought from them. The ICCL says that our interception laws are from a pre-digital age. They are archaic and need to be updated. More importantly, the ICCL talks about the need for oversight of the surveillance process by an independent authority, which is a fair point. The ICCL believes that too broad an interpretation is allowed under the existing legislative base.

I am asking the Minister to reflect on these questions, including what the ICCL has said. The Government needs to demonstrate that, in the current environment of reviewing the Garda Síochána and oversight matters, it will examine these Acts to see if we can put in place a more accountable oversight system. That would demonstrate to citizens that the only basis on which we seek access to that type of data is when there is an identified threat to the security of the State which, of course, we all assume is the case. One could demonstrate that by putting in place a better system of oversight and accountability that would remove the fear of reputable human rights watchdogs, such as the ICCL, in addition to citizens themselves.