Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Since the story of the bugging of the GSOC offices broke it has been clear that a full independent inquiry is needed to establish the facts of this case. Numerous questions remain to be answered and the statements by the Minister, Deputy Shatter, have failed to address the public's concerns about this serious scandal. An independent inquiry would have the power to compel any documents relating to the illegal surveillance of GSOC to be brought before the commission.

Instead of maintaining a shroud of secrecy surrounding these current events, the Minister should be looking to clarify what happened. However, the Government in its wisdom has refused this Sinn Féin motion calling for an independent inquiry. Everybody, with the exception of the Minister, the Taoiseach and the rest of the Government, accepts that GSOC's offices were bugged and that classified or sensitive information may have been compromised.

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