Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There are exceptions in the charter, as the Deputy will be aware, which relate to public interest and to security matters. As I have outlined, we are in a position where members of An Garda Síochána are not just responsible for policing but also for security matters and that is why we have taken this decision. This will always be under review, and we will continue to engage with the Council of Europe, but there are clearly exceptions here that are part of the charter and that is where there is a public interest or issues relating to security. That is the decision we have taken and those are the reasons upon which we have made those decisions.

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