Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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97. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the actions she will take in view of the content and findings of the inquiry into reports of unlawful surveillance of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26694/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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An article in The Sunday Timeson 9 February 2014 reported that the offices of GSOC had been targeted as part of a sophisticated surveillance operation which used Government-level technology to hack into its e-mail, Wi-Fi and phone systems. The Government appointed a former distinguished judge of the High Court, Judge John Cooke, to carry out an independent inquiry into the claims. Judge Cooke's report was forwarded to the Department of the Taoiseach and was published on their website on 10 June, 2014. The key finding of the Report was that the evidence did not support the proposition that actual surveillance of the kind asserted in theSunday Timesarticle took place and much less that it was carried out by members of the Garda Síochána.

The Government accepted in full the findings and conclusions of the Report. The Government has already initiated a comprehensive programme of reform to address the wider systemic issues in the areas of policing and the administration of justice, and the Cooke Report will further inform how we will proceed with this programme. A number of specific responses to the Cooke Report have been agreed by Government:

- The proposed new Bill to reform the workings of GSOC will clarify the legal basis under which GSOC can initiate a Public Interest Investigation as well as the thresholds for initiating such an investigation;

- The proposed new Bill will further clarify and strengthen the provisions relating to the preparation and implementation of protocols relating to cooperation between Gardaí & GSOC.

- The Department of Justice & Equality will carry-out an examination of the resources available to GSOC.

- Both GSOC and the Garda Commissioner have been asked to provide a response to the Cooke Report.

- The Cooke Report has been referred to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Defence & Equality for further consideration and discussion.