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

The Deputy is wrong when he says there is no external monitoring. I have only referenced the role of the designated judge and the reports that are published and laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas. He may also wish to note that in addition to independent judicial oversight by a designated judge of the High Court, a complaints mechanism is provided for in the legislation whereby any individual who believes he or she has been the victim of improper use of the legislation may have the complaint investigated by a complaints referee. Finally, I wish to advise him in the context of the original question he raised that there are considerable sensitivities around the provision of technical information of the nature sought by him and that it is not the practice for obvious security reasons to reveal details of equipment in use by An Garda Síochána in tackling serious crime and terrorism.

Should there be in the light of the case law of our courts any need to amend the legislation in any respect, I have no difficulty, in the context of the legislation that will clearly be required in implementing any reforms arising out of the deliberations of the Cabinet committee on justice dealing with the police authority, the deliberations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality dealing with matters relating to GSOC and the deliberations being undertaken pursuant to the Haddington Road agreement on the structure and operation of An Garda Síochána, incorporating any required reforms in a new Garda Síochána Bill that may be published later this year.

See this speech in context