Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

Does the Minister have any appreciation of how sinister it is that a mass movement of ordinary people against a water tax is being policed in this way? People understand that this hated austerity burden, which is part of the bailout of bankers and bondholders, is a precursor to commodification and privatisation. Hundreds of thousands of people have been actively involved in campaigning against this aspect of austerity. Some 57% of the population boycotted their first bill because it did not have their consent. Gardaí have flooded into communities to help a billionaire's company and others to ram water meters down people's throats. It now appears that a special unit of the Garda has been spying on this movement. That is the reality. According to media reports, the senior garda heading up this spying operation is the spouse of the Commissioner. Will the Minister confirm whether that is the case? The Minister has said that open source information is used. Can she tell us exactly what this means? Will she acknowledge that under section 8 of the 2009 Act that she mentioned, a garda can get permission from a senior officer to conduct tracking and so on for four months without having to go to court? Is that the case? Are elected representatives the subjects of this activity just as are water charges activists?

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