Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Leader for responding yesterday to my call and that of many colleagues for a debate on the bugging allegations in the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC. A little more information has been forthcoming since we spoke yesterday on the Order of Business, but it is important that we wait to see what is stated today before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions by members of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission. We all hope clarity will be cast on matters. It is clear that there was no obligation on GSOC to make a report of the matter to the Minister, as has been clearly established by anyone who has read section 80(5) of the Garda Síochána Act. This matter is of much less importance than the key question of whether bugging was carried out and, if so, by whom. The Minister in his statement yesterday referred in some detail to the three identified issues or anomalies, at least one of which appears to have been ruled out but, according to one member of the ombudsman commission, another was of much more significance and much less likely not to have been as a result of tampering or bugging. I note that some security experts have pointed out that some of the allegations relate to activities which could have been carried out by individuals not connected with any State security apparatus. We all know about the very extensive bugging carried out by journalists in Britain from the News of the World. We need more information on the nature of the bugging. I would like to see published the report of the private security firm given to GSOC and which has now been furnished to the Minister. I know that GSOC is concerned about some of the items included in it, but the report could be redacted - we have seen this done before - to ensure it would not disclose any matter which might compromise the security of GSOC. It is a matter of great public interest to learn exactly what the anomalies were. It would help in trying to investigate who carried out the bugging, if it was carried out. It is important to have more detail and I know we will have more this afternoon. I hope we will have a debate on the matter very soon.

I commend the courage of Sharon McCarthy who spoke on "Prime Time" last night about her experience as the mother of a baby who had died in hospital in Portlaoise. The deaths of a number of babies in the Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise were exposed on "Prime Time" in recent weeks. There are still questions to be answered about why reports were not acted on and recommendations not followed up to ensure no further deaths occurred. It is welcome that HIQA will investigate and I hope we will have a debate on the matter when there are clear findings.

I welcome the move forward on the expansion of the university franchise for the six university Seanad seats. The matter was before the Cabinet yesterday and the heads of the Bill will be published shortly. I very much hope - I know my colleagues share this hope - we will see retention of the principle that graduates resident outside the jurisdiction who are Irish citizens are allowed to vote. It is a hugely important principle and it would be a retrograde step if it were to be changed, particularly as the Constitutional Convention has recently recommended expansion of the franchise for citizens resident outside jurisdiction to vote in presidential elections. We will debate the issue further later, but I welcome the announcement made by the Cabinet yesterday.