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Updated 11pm
A RETIRED HIGH Court judge is to review the issues surrounding claims that the offices of the Garda Ombudsman (GSOC) were placed under surveillance in an effort to bring clarity to the issue, the government announced earlier today.
The news follows a Cabinet meeting this morning. The terms of reference and the judge to be appointed to lead the review have yet to be finalised but a report is expected by April.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny said the terms of reference will be set by Justice Minister Alan Shatter with advice from the Attorney General and the judge will report their findings “within eight weeks”.
He confirmed that the inquiry will not take place under the 2004 Commission of Inquiries Act – legislation the opposition parties have said should be used.
During Leaders’ Questions, Kenny said that “all of the documentation, all of the technical reports” will be made available to the judge in addition to expertise.
He said: “Clearly, in the requirement of clarity about the sophisticated issues, of course he’ll have the opportunity to have expert personnel explain what those complex technicalities might be.”
Reaction
In addition, ministers have agreed that the Oireachtas Justice and Defence Committee is to review legislation concerning GSOC with a view to enhancing it.
In a statement this afternoon Justice Minister Alan Shatter said he has briefed the Cabinet “in relation to further information and documentation received from GSOC and further technical information I have received regarding the alleged surveillance of GSOC”.
“I will be addressing all of these matters in the Dáil tonight,” Shatter said, adding that he will also appear before the Oireachtas Public Oversight and Petitions Committee tomorrow afternoon.
The news has been welcomed by the Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan who said in a statement: “An Garda Síochána will co-operate fully with the Judge’s examination.”
But the Garda Ombudsman stopped short of welcoming the inquiry, saying: “In light of the Government’s very recent announcement of its intention to appoint a retired High Court Judge to inquire into recent events involving GSOC, the Commission wishes to make no further comment at this time.”
Political reaction
Reacting to the news this afternoon, Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald said the terms of reference, the identity of the judge and the scope of the inquiry need to be clarified promptly and said the government has been forced into a u-turn.
“Not alone Minister Shatter, I think the entire government has been dragged kicking and screaming on this issue,” she said, saying the inquiry is a “logical step”.
Fianna Fáil’s justice spokesperson Niall Collins (below) pointed out that it is day nine of the current controversy which he said has been “hugely damaging to the independence of GSOC” and said more details of the inquiry are needed.
He was speaking as his party published a Bill which it says will strengthen the powers of the Garda Ombudsman Commission, including giving it access to the PULSE system, making the garda commissioner responsible to it, and allowing it to investigate complaints made by serving gardaí against other gardaí.
Earlier...
Earlier, McDonald claimed that in the absence of an independent inquiry into claims that the offices of the Garda Ombudsman were placed under surveillance the truth is unlikely to emerge.
The Sinn Féin TD was speaking ahead of her party's plans to table a private members' motion this evening which calls for the establishment of an independent inquiry into the matter and prior to the government announcement.
"We’re convinced at this stage that as the story has rumbled on it becomes all the more evident day-by-day of the necessity of the inquiry," McDonald told reporters at Leinster House today, saying such an inquiry should take no more than a couple of months.
She said that the Oireachtas Public Oversight and Petitions Committee, which meets with Shatter tomorrow, is unlikely to to get to the bottom of the matter as it lacks the necessary expertise.
"I think anybody who imagines that the committee will be in a position to get to the bottom of these matters is very much mistaken," she said of a committee which her own party colleague Padraig MacLochlainn chairs.
She also accused the Justice Minister Alan Shatter of having misled the Dáil and of being selective in the information he disclosed to TDs about what GSOC told him about its investigation into the surveillance claims.
First published 12.21pm
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We could do with an inquiry into RTE and its attempts to bin the scandal also.
‘Independent’ media, seems to have gone very quiet on the matter aswell.
It’s been on the news constantly! What are you on about!
I’m talking about the Indo…I read an article or two last week about it but it doesn’t address the matter of WHO did the bugging.
Simon who owns the Indo (here’s a clue he also got the contract for water meters and is a close friend of Enda/FG).
What about an inquiry into where SF get their funding, where all the missing bodies are buried
I now await the red thumbs
Sean thought the article was about an inquiry into the bugging claim at GSOC? ( but there should be an all inclusive inquiry up north, wasn’t just the IRA that made people disappear.) Stay on topic.
You get what you deserve…
Take it your a blue shirt fascist as well….
Feeble attempt to change the story.. you pituful loser
This week has been rather useful in terms of media deceivers exposing themselves. In being so apparent, they have done the nation no small favour.
Sean you fool
Mr McCarthy I’m not a fine gaeler I’d jump off a cliff before I’d vote FG, but I’m a republican not looser Kelly’s type of republican, ok Kelly you stupid mope.
I’d say me in black hoods I wouldn’t like to turn my back on you in a dark night
This is the test for Kenny we’ve been waiting for, following troika orders for 2 years was very handy but has he the balls to give Shatter the nudge or is it really all about loyalty to your political friends.
The shinners love a bit of fabrication
So, a 4 hour old twitter account, trying to flip the story around against the people calling for an independent enquiry.
YFG out in force the last few days.
My word, Sinn Fein/IRA calling for enquiries into shady goings-on !!
Now the (jack)boot is on the other foot, the moral high-ground is such a smug place to live for them.
Aw yes Mary we are not going to find out what happened unless we have an enquiry! Things will just “Disappear”! If they don’t ! I can think of many many more sinister things you should seek an enquiry about! Double standards & hypocrisy from SF as usual!
SF trolls out in greater numbers as usual!
Kenny, Shatter, Callinan and FG/Lab have all failed the first tests.
All they can do now is make up for the damage down the GSOC, the Guards etc.
Is it so shameful for them to be straight with people?
My word Larry, you’ll continue to ignore the new reality until you get a major shock at the local elections, when your world will turn upside down.
Oh the irony.lol
Idiot
You are the biggest troll on here @inktoner. Oh and a nasty piece of work also.
At lot of credit due to Mary Lou and the Sinn Fein party for dragging Shatter, Kenny and their sidekick Gilmore into accepting an inquiry!
Tom just because I don’t agree with SF I’m a nasty piece of work!!!! The biggest troll too! Anybody on this site who disagrees with SF is slagged off for one thing or another,grow up man & don’t be so nasty! We live in a democracy whether you & your fellow SF trolls like it or not!
This democracy, Ink, will shortly have an opportunity to voice its opinion on the shower that you uphold to be a better alternative to Sinn Fein.
I am not an SF supporter but I must say I have much greater admiration for them now as a result of their opposition of the travesty that is this government.
I’d chew my own fingers off before I’d vote Sinn Fein but Shatter must go. FG/Lab have turned out to be every bit as corrupt as FF.
The great thing about clowns like you Kelly I can delete your comment with a laugh and my small finger hee hee hee so long a–h-le.
That would be even funnier if Sean Collins was the same personality as ink toner… Is he?
Paul show your real identity
Funny you should say that.
I’m waiting on an tÁrd-Chláraitheoir to clarify certain aspect of my real identity. Otherwise, what you see is what you get.
This may well be our Watergate. The same people tying to avoid a proper investigation are also the ones who had the motive and capability to carry out such an operation.
Its blatant, its obvious. Its a cover up. Lets see who doesn’t want the Irish people to know the truth by seeing who votes against this motion.
Absolute bulls…!
Ink… if it’s bs, can you provide proof of what did happen. Btw “nothing to see move along” doesn’t work.
Norman it was caused by interference from a free Wi-Fi system in adjoining coffee shop! Great scoop ! Move on & debate some real issues & don’t be such a clown!
So you have proof.Thats what I asked you, ,repeating the claims from the indo is not proof.
Btw name calling? Grow the fcuk up.
O Norman calm down…. “So you have proof”? The usual SF defensive sound bite!
Shinnerbots out in force defending the mike Tyson lookalike, same people defended their comments regarding the rape of children also, that’s all you really need to know about these animals
Ink…usual tactic of your ilk is calling anyone who doesn’t follow the offical a “shinner”.Play the ball not the man.btw not that its any of your business but I never have and probaly never will vote for SF.
@Ink
As I posted on another article:
Even if you discount the first and third anomalies, the second still remains: A test carried out at 1am in the morning to check if a line is bugged. If the line is bugged, the phone rings. When they conducted the test, the phone rang, at 1 am from an untraceable number. There’s 3 possibilities: 1. The line is bugged 2. Someone decided to ring up the GSOC office at 1am. 3. Someone is taking the p*ss and knew the test was being conducted and rang the number from an untraceable phone.
Which is it?
I think it’s been blown out of all proportion. Some on here, need to get a life, Norman relax yourself there you will give yourself a heart attack. You must have commented about 2o times on each article about this, chill out, you are not alone mind you. Before ya say anything I’m not a FG/shatter supporter. I can’t stand them. I don’t see what an independent inquiry will achieve either. The company that ran the checks can’t say what the cause of the anomalies were so how will some enquiry magically reveal who or what they were! What you will just get is there opinion. Waste of time!!!
Arse I counted less than ten, but if my comments annoy you please accept my humble apology and suggestion, don’t read them so.:-)
Felt like 20!
I’m supposed to care? Really.
Norman stop stooping to Ink’s level and feeling obliged to put him at peace by telling him you probably may never vote Sinn Fein, that will surely appease Ink’s bullying mentality!
Right “Norman”!
Mike I don’t care wether he believes me or not gaining the acceptence of someone hiding behind a twitter account is not that high on my list of priorities.
@Norman, Ink has an identity crisis and has used many names like David Thompson etc. ink is just a bigoted Unionist cringing at the rapid rise in support for Sinn Fein.
For some reason the rest of my comment did not appear after I put a smiley face. So apologies Norman you comments don’t annoy me. Anyway what I said after was no inquiry will get to the bottom of this. If the company that did the sweep can’t say who it was how will an inquiry get the answers? The guards will just say not us and then what happens? Drag on for a few months costing the taxpayer money. What has ever come out of an inquiry in this country?? They are all a sham. Will the government do anything arising out of it? No, they are all the same!
Youknowimright you are dead on the the shinners are very sensitive about graves I expect it’s their consciences in overdrive, at least the public house shinners are anyway don’t know about the following how they feel when sober, Plenty of red thumbs after that I’d say hope the red isn’t blood of innocents.
There won’t be an enquiry because if the truth came out it would topple the Government..
Any chance of SF calling for an inquiry into the “disappeared” while they are at it…?
Sinn Fein have repeatedly called for inquires into the past. It’s the unionist parties that refuse to cooperate.
Wtf has that got to do with the story at hand????
Typical FG/Labour diversionary tactic.
Shatter and Callinan are two of a kind, and if government TD’s vote against this motion , they are all guilty of condoning criminality by our security forces. So come on Gilmore and co. Man up and prove us all wrong!
This Kris guy just can’t help himself, yada yada the disappeared, yada yada Gerry’s brother, yada yada IRA. A W@nkstain on every story.
No they haven’t. Surely Mary Loo Roll could have asked Comrade Adams at the Ard Fheis what his thoughts were on it? For closure etc…
Unfortunately Roland, it’s a bit like the IRA….it just won’t go away.
@Rodrigo
Well said, man. This is the oppurtunity for the reform, accountability they keep banging on about.
Garland your having a laugh! Funny though
Let the whitewash begin, probably need a pallet of paint and plenty of brushes
How on the ball you are, David.
Have you another conspiracy theory to replace your comment?
Well, it would seem rather starkly apparent, that in order to ascertain what happened at any particular juncture, one would have to begin with an inquiry of sorts.
Such an obvious conclusion, however, may not be a convenient one for An Taoiseach to either countenance or to commit to.
How very brave of you Taoiseach
Amphroai have you been reading Mr . logic in the Viz?
I concur. The decision would be more than controversial.
A controversial decision would cost him votes, whereas a courageous one would cost him the election.
I regret my dear Badger, I do not take The Viz, nor have I ever heard of the publication. However any press medium conducted through the medium of Latin is surely to be commended and encouraged.
And Sir Humphrey,
Do you not think that the retired judge will be selected on the basis of the desired outcome .
I believe, Mr. Barton, that to pursue any other avenue would amount to gross negligence on the part of the officials involved. It would be beginning of the end, the thin end of the wedge, a Bennite solution, and the end of civilisation as we know it!
Amphroai, I believe the venerable Viz was created in Novum Castrum, Anglorum.
Ah! I could not be more surprised, had you informed me that it consists almost entirely of lewd and rather graphic comic strips, and the use of vernacular latina is limited solely to medical terms!
But of course. They will pick someone “sound” and ensure that the conclusions are known now and the report will then justify the conclusions.
Clarifications of the laws to ensure that confusion cant happen again rather than focus on what was really going on. Where offices bugged by Garda, Irish Intelligence or other intelligence agency.
Why does Shatter have two hats – head of defense and justice which makes him technically head of Garda and Intelligent and Army G2 intelligence.
Why do RTE and Indo act as Garda mouth PR departments.
It is not inconceivable at all for Minister Shatter to wear two hats, if he is in two minds. Or for that matter, if he has two faces.
Yes two faces either of which looks like a well slapped arse
I have always found him to resemble Neil Diamond, had said colonial crooner taken to the bottle for five years following the critical reception for his acting skills in The Jazz Singer, and had he developed both an unfortunate habit of inhaling helium prior to making public utterances, and an uncharacteristic loss of charismatic endeavour.
Csoc need a new chairman. A rule about having no relationship with the commissioner. Better selection process so no ex guards end up in that building. Callinan should resign and apologise to the Irish people for misleading them and the same goes for shatter
What about GSOC though?
Independent enquiry of course. I’m just outlining what can be done at present
Shatter and Callinan,one hand washes the other.
Ah jeez Mary Lou, there’s no need for any enquiry, just ring Paul Williams, he seems to have the inside track on everything to do with the Gardai.
If he doesn’t answer you could just bug him, there must still be some of the junk used at Harcourt Street knocking about.
Callinan’s has to be scraping the bottom of the barrel getting Paul Williams to explain how it all went down. Surveillance expert now. His other nixer is painting targets on the backs of junkeys.
Shinners calling for enquiries when it suits – pathetic from the terrorists
YFG could at least try a little harder, new twitter account opened yesterday, 0 following or followers. Enda tries to use these diversionary tactics in all Dail debates, they don’t work for him either.
I do pity you Shinnerbots striking similarities with the North Koreans :D
Better than similarities with general franco
More power for the GSOC? Will they actually use them properly if they get them?
Their track record to date leaves a lot to be desired. They need to clean up their act for the public to have full confidence in them.
Aireach,
I don’t think they are the only ones who need to clean up their act.
How about Callinan and Shatter ?
Them too. But a lot of people like you seem to think the GSOC are whiter than white.
They are not.
Ironic considering SF member who was caught spying with intention of subverting this State
Also if Mary Lou wants any credibility she needs to call for an inquiry into the murders and bombing committed by those who sit beside her
They did try to subvert the state.
It does not change the fact that a subversion of the state was carried out here and that the only suspects in most peoples mind are the part of the state.
You can try all the diversionary tactics you want, but this one isn’t going away – it gets worse for FG by the day.
“Irish Republican” – is one of the funniest actual fake Twitter sites around .
It tries to depict itself as “Republican” – whilst it spews out constant anti-republican Blueshirt / FG type propaganda ! – its an amusing laugh really .
It’s officially an “anti SF/Provo Site” – so amateurish – a bit like the bugging really ?
Allowing the Minister for Justice, one of the people up to their eyeballs in this controversy, to set the terms of reference of the enquiry is a disgrace. When will Labour man up in this matter? There needs to be a full public enquiry that looks at the entire issue, including the Boylan investigation that led to this whole thing coming to light, it needs to call before it the relevant members of AGS to find out how they came into and made public evidence only known to GSOC.
Anomalies schmanomalies. Coffee shop WiFi and BT signals? Give us a break. Diversionary tactics.
Let us not forget that, long before any anomalies – sinister or not – were discovered, the reason the UK firm were called in was that Callinan let something slip that he simply wouldn’t have known had he not been privy to a conversation that took place in GSOC’s boardroom.
We need to discover how he came to be in possession of that particular information.
We also need to discover why FG/Labour moved very swiftly to try obfuscate and diminutise the matter.
Satisfactory discovery of these facts, however, will not emerge because of the following;
A) If the true facts were to emerge it would surely bring down the government,
B) The “independent” judge appointed to the ‘review’ will doubtless be anything but independent, and,
C) The very terms of reference of the ‘review’ will be set by Shatter himself!
Anyone actually know what this is all actually about? Because it sure looks like a load of moaning and groaning about something that nearly/could’ve happened.
Slap on the wrist for whoever does the telecoms in the building, and get on with it, sick of hearing about it at this stage.
Well if you’re sick of it ,stop listening problem solved.
Terms of reference for the enquiry 1. Who was bugging GSOC. No need for any others.
I have to say I laughed out loud when I read the story in the indo about the coffee shop etc causing the issue. Shows the establishment are running scared from this one. If Shatter survives this what does it say about our country. The govt has really has taken us for fools on this. Any halfwit could see through their BS and spin. Fair play to gsoc and the security firm for standing their ground. I think the insiders are clutching at straws…..
Andrew, I’m afraid we are long past the stage of been taken as fools. Well before the point of been saddled with 80,000 million euro of someone elses debt. Well before the manufactured housing bubble that saw people been fooled into buying bricks and cement for 5 times their actual worth. Well before the 50 million e-voting. Well before the blue flu. Well before the dublin tunnel. Well before the toll links……………. it goes on and on…….
And we do nothing….
Ireland has a national debt of 176,000,000,000 now, i wonder how much of that is illegal debt??
You guys on here do know that there is going to be an enquiry. I do hope that the often used attic of limiting its term of reference will not apply. Also, kinda worried about this judge and how independent he might be, because as we know we do have the farcical situation in this country that many judicial appointments are political.
Shatter, Kenny, Gilmore, Quinn all were adamant all last week that a separate inquiry was unnecessary. It’s a big climb down.
so let me get this right a member of the establishment is going to investigate “under the parameters set down by Alan Shatter” if anything untoward happened ….if you listen very carefully you can hear the tins of whitewash being opened as we type
yes and if we sit on our hands for too long they’ll get away with it too!!
Id give her one……….an inquiry i mean.
1. Who got to select the judge – the government? If so, I fear for full truth being informed to the people…
2. How limited is the selected judge’s remit? How deep and in to what can he delve?
Any inquiry into the 1600 innocent people brutally murdered by SF/IRA – absolutely pathetic
Get shatter and callinan first.
Mary Lou jumping on the band wagon trying to promote herself
She has no interest in the topic , just getting her name in papers.
Wonder why she left all the other parties before Sinn Fein took her on ! !
Terms of reference to be set by shatter with Callinan whispering in his ear no doubt. Kenny must snorting that coke that boylan lad brought in.
I would not trust this enquiry ….
“Enquiries”,Committees” “Investigations” etc.,etc.,all prob very costly,FGS,it’s all so easy…get the dummy,(“Senior Garda”,) under oath,with peril of imprisonment for perjury,and ask,”how and when did you acquire the information that you “let slip”, then compare the Meerkats
Hopefully won’t be long before a judge is enquiring into some of Mary Lou’s comrades
Have a nice long wait so pal. Lol
I wonder is the judge doing this service for free considering he has a massive pension all kindly paid by us ignorant fools.
‘its all mad Ted!’
Public has lost interest in the story I think.
I think your wrong, I deal with the public alot and I have heard this mentioned alot even today.
Bulls…!
Not at all. i think the public are sick of all the detracting from the real issue the media are trying to blind side the public with stories of coffee shops and Verrimus bla bla that can be sorted easily.. i want to know who bugged gsoc and why? those are the questions we need to concentrate on. what will happen is the retired judge will get paid loads of money for his report on the report. that will then be ready to be shoved under for that big carpet we have reserved for inquiries involving government. done dusted forgot about the usual.
Ink I agree with you for a change David is talking bulls..
It is bigger now than it was on Sunday and as for the transcript between the Whistleblower and the official recipient
No one in Ireland can joke about the carry on in Police forces in holes like Albania or Romania anymore.
I think that Policing and the level and depth of scandal that is bubbling up at the moment will be the biggest scandal this state has ever seen, by a very long shot.
Not nearly as big as the scandals perpetrated by Fianna Fáil in their heyday. Fianna Fáil dirt birds are responsible for most of the mess we find ourselves in today.
On Vincent Browne, Sunday Times reporter says Callinan was the dope who made the gaffe about something he shouldn’t have known about, bye bye Commish,you arrogant creep,!
Typo on the first line – A retired High Court?
“tactic”
have your say