Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Go raibh maith agat.

Many of the questions I was going to ask have been extensively pursued by Deputies Chambers and O'Callaghan in respect of heads 4 and 8. The evidential threshold for access under the former is presumably high as opposed to merely being a request. The witnesses have expanded on some of the process but, aside from the process and mechanics, what would be required in an application as opposed to merely a request?

I hope the witnesses will forgive me if this seems like a silly question, although I am told that there is no such thing. Head 2 states: "This Act does not apply to the content of communications transmitted by means of fixed network telephony, mobile telephony, Internet access, internet e-mail or Internet telephony." Why is that the case?