John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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1393. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if any Irish citizens have been targeted by a project (details supplied); if any security issues have been identified in relation to this project in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40566/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will appreciate that I am not in a position to go into detail regarding security matters.  However, I am aware of media reporting in relation to the matter raised by the Deputy.  

I can inform the Deputy that interception is governed by the provisions of the Interception of Postal Packets and Telecommunications Messages (Regulation) Act 1993 under which the Minister for Justice may authorise bodies designated under the Act to intercept communications but only for the purposes of investigating serious crime or safeguarding the security of the State, as provided for in the Act, and only subject to a number of strict conditions that are also set out in the Act.

The operation of the Act is overseen independently by a serving Judge of the High Court who is designated by the Government for this purpose and reports to the Taoiseach.  In carrying out his functions, the Designated Judge has, by law, full access to all persons and records he considers relevant and all relevant persons have, by law, a duty to co-operate.

In addition, a serving judge of the Circuit Court acts as the Complaints Referee. She is empowered to receive and investigate complaints from persons who believe that their communications have been intercepted or their communications data accessed. In carrying out her functions, the Referee has, by law, full access to all persons and records she considers relevant to her investigations and all relevant persons have, by law, a duty to co-operate with her.