THE REPORT INTO the bugging of the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) is expected to be debated by Cabinet tomorrow.
The Cooke report was commissioned in February following reports of “unlawful surveillance” of GSOC.
Retired High Court Judge John Cooke was tasked with conducting an independent inquiry into the matter by the then Minister for Justice Alan Shatter.
Bugging
The controversy centres around GSOC employing a security firm to undertake a security sweep of its headquarters in Dublin.
Signals were picked up on a phone in the offices and wifi anomalies emerged.
Shatter told the Dáil the suggestion that gardaí were in involved in the potential bugging of GSOC was “baseless innuendo” while GSOC Commissioner Kieran Fitzgerald said there was no “definitive evidence” of bugging at its headquarters but, it could not be definitely ruled out.
The former Garda Commissioner also released a statement at the time saying that he was “entirely satisfied” that no members of the Garda Síochana bugged GSOC.
Under the terms of reference, Judge Cooke was to undertake an investigation and “establish a chronology and identify the sequence of events and facts leading up to and relating to the Public Interest Investigation pertaining to security concerns” at GSOC.
He was also asked to review and assess any evidence of a security breach or attempted security breach at the GSOC, and if appropriate, make recommendations regarding measures to “improve the existing security arrangements of GSOC for the purpose of addressing risks to data and communications”.
Cooke was also asked to make any other recommendations that may be deemed appropriate arising from the review.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny confirmed on Friday that he had received a final copy of the report.
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