Garda Ombudsman HQ bugged, The Irish Mirror
Justice Minister Alan Shatter had been asked to respond to reports that the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission was under surveillance
It was revealed today that the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) offices on Abbey Street in Dublin was under surveillance by “government-level technology”.
And Mr Shatter has asked GSOC for a report on the decision to hire a British security company to investigate a possible breach last year.
A spokesman for the justice minister said: “Minister Shatter has requested a report from the Ombudsman and will not be making a comment until he has received and considered that.”
The British consultants found a speaker phone on the upper floor of the GSOC building was bugged. The room was regularly used to hold case conferences on sensitive investigations.
Reports at the weekend suggested that a test of the line confirmed the phone was being used to eavesdrop on meetings.
The investigation also found that those responsible for the surveillance had compromised GSOC’s wi-fi network in order to allegedly steal emails, data, confidential reports and possibly eavesdrop on mobile phone calls.
The US National Security Agency (NSA) has used this technique to spy on targets in the past.
Fianna Fáil Justice Spokesperson, Niall Collins TD, had called on Justice Minister Alan Shatter to respond to the reports.
Mr Collins described the claims, carried in the Sunday Times, as “extraordinary”.
He said: “GSOC performs an important role in oversight of the garda, with access to very sensitive material; indeed, in Fianna Fail we have been making the case for extending and deepening the powers available to the Commission.
“The idea that someone or some organisation is engaged in covertly monitoring the ombudsman is deeply unsettling and risks undermining public confidence.
“The Minister needs to come forward and explain whether he has spoken to the Ombudsman and whether he was aware of this surveillance.
“If he was, he needs to explain why on earth this was going on. If he wasn’t we need to get answers very quickly on who is responsible.”
Investigators discovered that a second wi-fi system had been created to harvest GSOC data. It was operated using an IP address in Britain, which electronically concealed the identities and whereabouts of those spying on the garda watchdog.
The surveillance appears to have been organised after Alan Shatter appointed Simon O’Brien, Kieran Fitzgerald and Carmel Foley to lead the garda watchdog in December 2011.
GSOC is said to have spent €50,000 on the investigation and has now stepped up internal security measures.