Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There is no question of the Irish Government agreeing to the situation outlined by the Deputy. The UK legislation is for the UK to decide. I have made it very clear that we have a very serious approach to any interception of telecommunications in this country. We have very clear laws about it. It is only used where there is a question of criminal activity or where the security of the State is considered to be at risk. There is a very serious approach to it overseen by a High Court judge and a Circuit Court judge.

Most citizens would agree that there needs to be a balance between the privacy rights of individuals and the protection of the interests and security of the State and dealing with criminal activity. They would understand that some action would have to be taken on very specific occasions and with a very specific approach under regulation to deal with that and to allow for that interception. I am aware of the ECJ case and we will examine the outcome of it. Even in that case, the ECJ made it very clear that in terms of criminal activity, the interception of communications was a legitimate action for a State to take.

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