Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

Yes, its function is oversee complaints about the Garda. The Government's Bill will follow the same principle of judicial oversight as set out in the Interception of Postal Packets and Telecommunications Messages (Regulation) Act 1993. The Deputy's Bill proposed the Garda could not operate covert surveillance, which it is doing at the moment albeit on a non-statutory basis, until it was subject to the Freedom of Information Acts. If this were introduced into covert surveillance, particularly when we are trying to give the Garda all the powers we can within reasonableness——

See this speech in context