Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There is an astonishing story that has been unfolding over the past couple of days, starting with the French leader and now, over the past 48 hours, involving the German Chancellor, Dr. Angela Merkel, in which allegations have been made of monitoring of mobile telephone calls by the US security services. Far-fetched and all as it may seem, I ask the Leader if he could seek clarification from the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Gilmore, and a reassurance that Ireland is not included in this. It may seem far-fetched that a small country like Ireland would be involved, but one should remember that we held the Presidency of the European Union. My impression is that since 11 September 2001 the American security forces have become almost obsessive about their national security. When one thinks about it, their closest allies are here, particularly the Federal Republic of Germany. When one considers exactly what the allegation is - that the mobile phone of the Chancellor of Germany, the most powerful politician in Europe, is being monitored by US security forces - one can see it is an extraordinary development and one that has very serious undertones. I am a big fan of the United States. I have defended it here down through the years and will continue to do so. They are our cousins. There are family connections. However, I am seriously concerned that the image of the United States internationally will suffer possibly irreparable damage as a result of this development and there needs to be clarification on all sides. The Obama Administration last night stated that it is not monitoring phone conversations and will not do so but, as the Germans stated in their response, no reference was made to whether monitoring had taken place in the past. Will Deputy Gilmore clarify that Ireland is not included in any monitoring or surveillance in so far as he is aware - because such matters are covert operations - and will he communicate to the US ambassador our displeasure at what has been happening to our European allies?