Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I join you, a Chathaoirligh, and Senator MacSharry in paying tribute to the late Deputy Nicky McFadden and expressing, on behalf of the Labour Party group, our deep regret and sympathy to her family on her untimely death. Like many other colleagues, I served with the former Senator, Nicky McFadden, in the last Seanad and she was an extremely collegiate individual, a very warm person and an effective Senator. We will have time to pay tribute to her properly in the House and I look forward to that.

I also express sympathy to the family of the late Edward Haughey, also a former Senator. Again, we will have the opportunity later to pay tribute to him in the House.

On a happier note, I join the Cathaoirleach in expressing congratulations to Mr. Colm O'Rourke, the new Head Usher. Like Senator MacSharry, I believe we must have a debate on policing. I do not believe we should have it today, as it is important to hear what the Minister, Deputy Shatter, says in the Dáil this morning. I am conscious that he will be making statements and that these will account for the bulk of the Dáil's business today. We should have a debate on the matter in this House as soon as possible in the next week, but we must hear a clarification from the Minister as to the sequence of events and the state of knowledge of relevant parties at different points.

These very serious revelations about widespread recording of phone calls in Garda stations throughout the country since the 1980s give rise to very serious concerns about particular matters.

As somebody who has practised in the criminal courts, I am aware there would have been knowledge that some calls were being recorded, and everyone has knowledge about the recording of 999 calls, but what transpired in the Waterford Circuit Court case that has been spoken about and written about in the newspapers, and in another case in which a discovery order was made, is that this practice was more widespread than had been thought. It now transpires that it was extremely widespread, and it gives rise to serious concerns, in particular about client-solicitor communications, many of which are made over the phone, privileged communications in respect of which there have been real issues in many trials, and trials in which I have been involved, where there has been concerns that gardaí might have been listening in to phone calls or standing nearby when people were making them. It now transpires that these calls may have been recorded. That has implications for cases in which convictions have been obtained in the past and cases that may be pending.

I very much welcome the Government announcement that a commission of investigation will be set up to review and uncover exactly what has been going on with this widespread recording, the reason it was started, the extent to which it continued, whether client-solicitor communications were among those communications being recorded, the reason it ended suddenly in November of last year, who knew what about it, and when. That is very important. I welcome that the acting Commissioner, Noirín O'Sullivan, will be reviewing the matter as well. However, the commission of investigation is vital and I welcome that we have moved to that.

I very much welcome that at last the Government has made an announcement that a policing board will be established. It is something many of us had called for in the debate on the 2005 Act.