Written answers

Thursday, 9 March 2006

Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform

National Security Service

3:00 pm

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 29: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of people employed in the secret service section; the location of the section; the type of work carried out by the section; the annual budget for the section in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9681/06]

Photo of Michael McDowellMichael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The Garda Síochána acts as both the State's national police service and national security service. Ireland does not have a "secret service".

The function of the Garda Síochána in its capacity as the State's national security service is to protect the State from national security threats from within and without, in association with the Defence Forces, as appropriate. For sound security and operational reasons, it is not the practice and it would be contrary to the public interest to reveal details of numbers and locations of Garda members employed in national security service duties.

As the national security service forms part of the general Garda organisation, there is no separate, dedicated budget for its operation; all costs associated with security service duties are subsumed into the general budgets within the Vote of the Garda Síochána. Accordingly, it is not possible to provide, nor would it be in the public interest to reveal, details of the costs associated with national security service duties.

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