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Updated at 9.55am
MINISTER FOR PUBLIC Expenditure Brendan Howlin has said he’s “very concerned” about the developing controversy surrounding alleged bugging at the Garda Ombudsman Commission.
Howlin said he was ”anxiously waiting” Jusice Minister Alan Shatter’s briefing on the situation, and raised questions as to what GSOC meant when it said ‘anomolies’ were found in its communications systems.
GSOC met with Shatter at the Department of Justice yesterday, after it was reported at the weekend that the police watchdog’s Dublin HQ was bugged last year.
In a statement released after that meeting, GSOC said that “three technical and electronic anomalies” that could not be “conclusively explained” were found following an investigation which concluded on 17 December last.
The agency said it regretted not bringing the matter to the attention of the Minister sooner, but that it was satisfied its databases were not compromised.
Speaking on his way in to this morning’s Cabinet meeting, Howlin said it still had to be established “was there bugging or was there not?”
Regarding the statement released last night, Howlin said “maybe ‘anomalies’ means something to other people but I don’t know.”
“There should be a very clear answer to a very clear question — was there a suspicion that somebody was about to bug or in the process of bugging the independent watchdog for the Garda Síochána?
“If so, let’s have all the facts on that. What did the investigation that they carried out from this British group unveil?”
Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore said it was important there was clarity on the issue, and that the matter be dealt with in a calm way, adding:
“We don’t need to jump three or four fences at a time.”
He declined to answer one reporter’s question on whether he knew what was meant by the term ‘anomalies’ in the context of the GSOC statement.
Cabinet members are due to be briefed on yesterday’s meeting with GSOC by Alan Shatter this morning.
Committee
Chairman of the Public Service Oversight Committee Pádraig McLochlainn said that if it emerged GSOC had been bugged, further investigation of the issue would be needed.
The Garda Ombudsman Commission is due to appear before the panel of TDs and senators tomorrow to answer questions on what happened.
McLochlainn, a Sinn Féin TD, suggested an independent organisation may need to be brought in to carry out any additional inquiry needed.
“We’re in unknown territory, because the Garda Obmudsman — which is meant to watch the watcher — apparently has been spied upon,” the deputy told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.
“If they do confirm that ‘yes, we were spied upon’ then the report from the consultancy company would need to be looked at.
“We may have an issue here where we need to find some international body to investigate this.”
First posted at 9.15am
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€3m is nothing, you couldn’t even pay off the Sligo county manager with that.
I wouldn’t say no to it ;)
So let me get this straight, banks are lending to agriculture and property development, one sector that is inherently inefficient and can get pretty much all of the grants by stamping their foot m, the other landed us in a mahoosive mess, with loans still outstanding to the tune of billions.
Banks aren’t lending to R+D – the one area we know we can do quite well in, because we’re already doing quite well in it.
People still wonder how a) we got into this mess, and b) we are still in it. This country is amazing.
A. Maze. Ing.
I agree that is a bad figure but the reality is Ireland has never been great at R & D. I don’t know where R&D money comes from elsewhere but it is a very risky low return business and I doubt bank loans are the way to go.
Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Check out the story of stripe, and ask yourself why they had to move to the US.
I am co-founder of a hi-tech SME. We’ve raised almost €1m from VCs and have contracts of approx €1m with some of the world’s biggest companies ( all exports). The lowest qualification in the company is an M.Sc. We were refused company credit cards until our CEO gave personal guarantees and we now have limits on the cc’s of €140. That’s the banks in Ireland. But glad 2 hear the property developers can get cash. That’s a lovely stable industry.
And people wonder why my company does ALL its banking and lending outside the republic!
Insanity is repeating the same thing over and over and expecting different results. It’s evident that the banks are hoping for a return to the anomaly that was the property bubble.Try again, it’s not going to happen
3 Mil? How much did “Fingers” walk with ? Remind me again ?
The minister for small firms has small pockets.
Of course, those are the traditional “safe as houses” sectors of the Irish economy. Just think about the qualifications for being a banker in Ireland – have you ever seen such a shower of smug gits?
This blog makes me realize the energy of words and pictures. As always your things are just gorgeous and I am grateful that you let us look in! Keep coming up with ideas.
Small Business Loan
We are a sme with a patent product that we are Bringing to the Irish market .We have been refused credit from the banks as they need personal guarantees so we told them that we have no problem signing personal but we have no assets they still would not give us credit .We went to dublin city enterprises board and got approved for the 10 thousand euro feasibility grant we spent 24 thousand euro and now they have told us we are only getting 5650 euro as we did not employ an out side company to do our market research what a joke spend 24.000 and get 5650 . There is no help for sme in this country it’s a big joke !!!!
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