Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
Martin Callinan in Templemore today Garda Press
BUGGING
Commissioner “very very satisfied” no members of the gardaí spied on GSOC
Martin Callinan made his first public comment on the bugging saga today, speaking alongside Justice Minister Alan Shatter at a garda event.
10.10pm, 14 Feb 2014
20.4k
226
Updated at 10.52pm
GARDA COMMISSIONER MARTIN Callinan has said he’s satisfied that the force didn’t bug the offices of GSOC.
Speaking alongside Justice Minister Alan Shatter at an event in Templemore today, Callinan said:
“I want to unequivocally state that at no stage was any member of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission or any of its members under surveillance by An Garda Síochána.”
“That was not the case and I relayed that to the Chairman of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission when he came to see me last Tuesday and the Chairman in turn assured me that having carried out their investigations that there were no matters of concern arising for An Garda Síochána”
Asked how he could be sure that no ‘rogue elements’ engaged in spying, Callinan said:
“Certainly it’s the case that no member of the Garda Síochána — I am very very satisfied — no member of An Garda Síochána was involved in surveillance of any kind in relation to either the premises or the members of staff of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission.
He said that if anybody had any information “that some so-called rogue member of the Garda Síochána or indeed anybody else” had any suspicion that such surveillance was taking place “then I would be very very interested and so would every single member of An Garda Síochána”.
Today’s comments are the force commander’s first public statement on the issue since the story broke last Sunday.
Callinan had put out a press release on Monday night, taking issue with an earlier statement from GSOC, and saying it contained “a clear indication that An Garda Síochána was in some way suspected of complicity in this matter”.
The Commissioner’s comments today come in the wake of Shatter’s appearance on Prime Time last night — in which he declined to state explicitly that he had confidence in GSOC chairman Simon O’Brien.
In the course of his TV interview last night, the Justice Minister also took issue with O’Brien’s public testimony on the issue, and said the GSOC chairman’s comments at an Oireachtas committee on Wednesday diverged from what he had been told in a meeting at the start of the week.
‘Different answers’
Shatter initially called O’Brien in for a briefing on the issue the Monday, a day after reports that the agency had been bugged last year first appeared in The Sunday Times.
GSOC confirmed that night that a UK security firm had carried out a sweep of its Abbey Street HQ in 2013, and that three “technical and electronic anomalies” had been found.
The Minister told the Dáil on Tuesday:
“It has not been established that the offices of the ombudsman commission were under surveillance.”
Advertisement
However — on Wednesday, O’Brien told the Public Oversight Committee:
“I certainly suspect or potentially suspect that we may have been under some form of surveillance.”
Shatter said last night that the information he gave the Dáil had been “based entirely” on the oral and written briefing he’d received from O’Brien on Monday and on GSOC’s press release issued that night.
“In the context of that information, the conclusion was that there was no definitive evidence of any unauthorised technical or other surveillance,” Shatter said.
And when asked about the apparent differences between the two interpretations of what had happened:
“I’m very conscious that Mr O’Brien and the other members of GSOC were at a committee meeting for up to four hours and a series of questions were put to them.
“During the course of that event there were different answers given with regard to particular issues.
“Indeed, some of what was said during the course of that seemed to me to be a little confused or contradictory.”
Shatter stressed that there had been nothing in the oral or written briefing or in the press statement that indicated O’Brien or other GSOC members believed they had been spied upon.
He also said he had written to the Commission, asking it to clarify if it believed it was under surveillance.
Written briefing
The written briefing document has been sent on to members of the public oversight panel — and speaking this morning, chairman of that committee Padraig MacLochlainn said “the concerns that I had have only heightened having read that briefing”.
“In the account given by the minister, he clearly sought to talk down the three identified anomalies or threats,” McLochlainn told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.
“He used a number of terms that were clearly seeking to say ‘nothing to see here, move on’.”
McLochlainn, who is also the Sinn Féin justice spokesman, said he was “stunned” at difference in what Shatter had told the Dáil and what the GSOC chairman told the committee the following day.
Confidence
In the course of last night’s interview, Shatter was also asked whether he had confidence in O’Brien as chairman of the agency.
He replied:
“I have confidence in GSOC.
I appreciate that members of GSOC had a four hour hearing in front of an Oireachtas Committee at which very many members of that committee put questions to them.”
Asked again about the issued today he said:
I have confidence in GSOC, I have confidence in the GSOC Commission. I’m not going to differentiate between individual members because it’s the commission and they make decisions collectively.
Asked a second time by RTÉ’s Paul Reynolds if he had confidence in the three members of the commission, Shatter said:
“I’ve confidence in the members of the commission, I have confidence in GSOC, but I’m not going to distinguish in any shape or form between individual members. They are a collective group, they perform as a commission, they don’t effectively or essentially perform on an individualised basis.”
Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article.
Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.
“The notion that we live in a true democracy is a joke, judging by the response by Government, gardaí, and parts of the media to suspected bug at GSOC offices, says Michael Clifford”
Well of course the media is going to talk about the fact that GSOC didn’t report it to the minister. Why is that surprising. It shows a serious lack of trust between state bodies. That is a story.
There is no indication who was bugging GSOC at this stage. They can’t write about the bugging because there is almost nothing to write. I literally can’t imagine how you would write a story about it. You can’t accuse anybody or speculate about anybody bugging GSOC because there is zero evidence about who it was. The media would get sued of the face of the earth for speculating who it was. I’m sure they are dying to write about it if they get a chance.
I have read lots though about the strained relationship between Shatter and GSOC and how he sides we the Gardai. We are a thriving democracy and you must be thick to think otherwise.
According to the article even Enda is making up laws as he goes along. Something stinks to the high heavens.
Least people forget governments in this country have fallen for less.
Yeah Enda said the law said they have to report when the law actually says they may report. It is an easy enough mistake to make and GSOC probably should have reported the fact they thought they were being bugged to the minister, they said so themselves.
GSOC obviously have issues with the minister because he tends to side with the Gardai. They still should have reported the bugging to the minister and they have admitted this. I don’t think the head of GSOC should resign and the fault also lies with the minister for having such bad relations with GSOC.
You keep making vague accusations instead of an actual point. I dunno why I would be spinning since I wouldn’t vote for either of the government parties
That Enda has quoted a law wrong by saying GSOC is compelled to report when the law actually says they may report. Governments clearly haven’t fallen for less than that. He was wrong about what the laws says.
Now if Shatter ordered GSOC to be bugged then the government could fall. But so far there is no evidence he did.
So where’s the beef, Norm? Misquoting a piece of legislation….
David sit down before the dizziness overwhelms you, btw I’m not upset just enjoying reading the usual government hacks tie themselves up in knots, you are funny though keep going.
Vague accusations of Norm.
“According to the article even Enda is making up laws as he goes along. Something stinks to the high heavens.”"Least people forget governments in this country have fallen for less.”
Something stinks to high heaven seems to indicate the government is somehow behind the spying.That this is a scandal big enough to bring the government down. E.g. They ordered spying. Or is that not what you mean ? What exactly did the the government do which is big enough for the government to fall?
“Yeah its not RTE or one of Enda’s buddies rags, so they probably won’t follow the memo from FG HQ.”
That Fine Gael and Enda Kenny control RTE and parts of he Irish media. That they can manipulate the news and a number of newspapers?
Again any hard evidence of this Norm? Or did I misinterpret what you mean?
A thriving democracy! We ran the country into the ground within 9 decades of independence. The economic collapse of the country precipitated by catastrophic failures within our system of governance. Does that sound like a thriving democracy to you?
You’re right about one thing. We don’t know and will probably never know who bugged the GSOC offices. What the penalty points debacle and this scandal do highlight is the dire need for an independent police oversight authority similar to that in the UK or NI. Both the Minister and the Commissioner have a vested interest in preserving the status quo and so any and all problems are played down or hushed up.
David just a small point on politeness I use your name as you have it, allow me the same courtesy. Only friends and family call me Norm and you are neither.
David, Kenny repeatedly stated the law incorrectly. It’s the first time I saw him certain about anything. He was wrong. It wasn’t an easy mistake to make. It was at best extreme incompetence and at worst a downright lie.
No it’s not, anyone with a constant agenda, who offers nothing new becomes Tiresome. He has his knife constantly in the Garda , no matter what the circumstances. Every chance he gets, he is Ian Baileys most vociferous advocate, again using that to criticise the police, but offering nothing but the same old same old, no I’d skip that one and try and find an open minded journalist.
Agreed, this article is as biased as the bias he accuses the indo of extolling all week. In his opening paragraphs he becomes judge and jury and delivers the verdict that nobody else other than the guards have bugged GSOC. A clear lack of lateral thinking and/or impartiality.. So I’ll make up my mind on all of this on Sunday, when the ST reveals all.
Actually I am also a vociferous advocate of Ian Bailey- indeed only last year he spoke for us at the West Cork Philosophical Society. Whatever his alcohol and domestic problems might have been, he is not a murderer- there is zero, that is ZERO (as in the likelihood that GSOC was not bugged is also ZERO) evidence linking him to the murder yet he is still fighting to have his name cleared. He is a very real victim of serious negligence within our justice system, and bear in mind, there aren’t many of us with a completely squeaky clean past so theoretically any one of us could be hauled up and held guilty on a trial by media for a crime we didn’t commit. That’s just wrong whatever way you look at it.
Well seannie, that point is completely obvious , and agreed, but Clifford ‘s exhuberance in defending Bailey, is driven by an agenda against the Gardai, and he certainly is advocating Bailys position as if he was related to him. Certainly not clear minded objective journalism..
Well Anne, it certainly worked on me… But do not think for one minuite that Mr Clifford shares your passion , he is on your bandwagon to further his own ” anti police” agenda , which is eating him, you only have to listen to him once, because it’s then repeated ad nausium. What exactly triggered this god knows.. Nonetheless I admire your loyalty , I hope it stays fine for you..
I know nothing about My Clifford, but it is obvious to the dogs on the street that Alan Shatter is doing his utmost to undermine the seriousness of these bugging allegations. That himself and Callinan, who prefers ‘loyalty above truth’, are so tight-knit is very worrying for most level- headed onlookers. It doesn’t help that these transcripts are coming out which have Shatter basically finishing the career of anyone who opposes him- it looks to most of us that he is trying to do that now to O’Brian.
This whole things stinks of something very very dark and murky.
Shatter’s response doesn’t make any sense at all.
I mean, Govt, level surveillance equipment- this is a pretty big deal right?
Why does he so obviously want it swept under the carpet?
#GSOC would have had to tell the guards to investigate themselves. Authorized or Unauthorized it was the Gardai doing the bugging. Also, it’s very technically possible to identify the line that was doing the bugging #FACT
Ya I’d like to see it gone through forensically from start to finish , and it may yet be done, just on the matter if suing, it’s you and I that will be paying, so be careful what you wish for..
Seanie, my P2 (senior infants) teachers told me that describing anything as ‘nice’ is an insult to the English language! For the record I have always found Ian Bailey to be very polite, well-mannered and interesting.
I too hope he finally gets his case resolved and is adequately awarded.
Ann, there are NO, I repeat NO allegations of bugging. A ” whistleblower” in GSOC , told the Sunday times, a sweep was done in the middle of the night. NOTHING was found . The two ombudsman commissioners said Nothing was found but there were 3 Anomolies. I’d say ud find more than 3 Anomolies in your house and mine with our 3rd world wifi. As for this BS about government level, bugging, sounds like a seceurity company jargon for finding nothing but being available for another €18.000 of tax payers money to check again. Nothing found but they could be bugged, shur we all could be bugged, but I have like the ombudsman zero evidence of bugging, so I will refrain from suspecting the Gardai , or the government of bugging me. No bugging allegation, so what cover up are you talking about .
Gerry, they believe they are bugged to the extent that they aren’t doing business on the premises, talking over mobile phones and meeting instead in random cafes…….. and you say there’s nothing going on here chaps! I understood that all evidence in fact weighed in favour of a bugged line- the ‘zero’ chance of the phone ringing coincidentally at that moment, all that.
There are very, very serious implications around all of this and the ‘Justice’ Minister is doing his level best to make the whole thing vanish with some poxy whitewash and/or blame O’Brian and/or blame the whistleblower. The mole on the inside is a separate and also very serious issue which should also be independently investigated- though one begins to suspect that ‘independent’ is not an idea that sits easily with our current bunch of public representatives.
Somebody is hiding something Clousaeu- that much is plainly obvious!
Anne, what part of ” the people who are supposed to be bugged, saying they have no evidence of bugging” do you and all the rest of the conspiracy theorists not get. No matter how much you want it to be , ain’t gonna make it so. When ex British intelligence couldent find it, I’d safely say it wasn’t there..
I’m not a conspiracy theorist and to be honest, dismissing this as ‘conspiracy theory’ seems really a bit odd, and either intentionally obtruse or pathologically naive.
‘No conclusive evidence’ does not in this case seem to mean ‘no evidence’- I understood that everything indicated the phone lines were bugged though as there is no physical ‘bug’ that can be held up and shown to people it can’t be held 100% provable- only indicative.
But even the fact the GSOC held these suspicions ought to warrant immediate concern for the Justice Minister. That they clearly didn’t trust the matter with either Shatter or Callinan is another very, very serious matter which needs to be addressed.
Shatter telling O’Brian to ‘consider his position’ does not increase, in any way, public confidence. Quite the opposite in fact.
The Kieran Boylan thing looks mental too, like the Ian Bailey case, but I don’t know anything about that other than what someone just posted so I couldn’t even speculate.
The point is that public confidence in An Garda Siochana is being really shaken. The relationship between Shatter and Callinan raises a lot of questions and it looks as though somebody is trying to sabotage GSOC’s inquiries.
Not a pretty picture, whatever way you want to turn it.
David – I believe that your Facebook Page is a fake – will you own up as to who you are please ?
Are you Enda or Shatter or Rabbitte or Gilmore… or..or…or ?
Ann isn’t it as likely that the ” bugging” that they were looking for , and not found may I remind you , was in fact ” Mr Mole” who is in fact still in their midst , information was leaking out , conversations were either listened to or passed on by the insider . The bugging thing is a red herring, Occam’s razor , it’s The Mole.
Noo again you wanting something to be wrong won’t make it wrong if an organisation had a mole, he would be there for the long haul, why draw all this heat on himself running to a newspaper..no it’s just some guy lured by a few £ , setteling a score or two , if it is in the times on Sunday and anything big comes out , so will he, another whistleblower , then the fun will start..and no bugs, Anne no bugs,..
They can write about the bugging, wait till you see the weekend papers. The device that was found breaks encryption in phones that are registered to a UK network and that’s why Shatter said it was irrelevant. But in fact it can be easily modified to pick up Irish phone data. There’s a big story on its way ;-)
@Dagda, I agree, half step ahead of other former colonies at best, rotten structure built around jaded British laws with sly strokesmen calling the shots. I wouldn’t trust the ‘commissioner’ as far as I could throw him.
As far as I can tell Shatter hasn’t done anything wrong because nothing was reported to him. GSOC probably should have reported the bugging but it makes no difference really because there is no way to figure out who it was.
Callinan hasn’t done anything wrong yet but his face alone annoys people so he should probably keep his mouth shut. Nobody like each other, everybody wants a scandal and the media want to sell papers.
Basically somebody was bugging GSOC but we are unlikely to ever find out who. Or what conspiracy do you think happened?
Nobody likes Shatter but I can’t actually see what he has done wrong here. The penalty points thing sure he was a tool but for this he can only act on the knowledge he is given.
Oh stop David. Thats exactly what shatter wants you to think. “Nothing to do with me pal”. Hold your fire till sunday. Then we will see the whole truth
David funny I don’t remember writing any of what you just stated.
Your posts however are becoming more similiar to those of an other regular contributor who’s noticeable by their absence.
Grand so we can all agree then that so far Shatter hasn’t done anything wrong and that depending what emerges on Sunday, a impartial inquiry is an option?
So far there may be no evidence in the public domain that Shatter did anything wrong but that does not mean he hasn’t done anything wrong and the manner in which he is reacting to this issue is extremely suspicious. An issue that is as serious as this and he seems so so quick to dismiss it. Surely you would want to investigate , and get to the bottom of it immediately as the Minister for Justice? No? Am I missing something?
Irrespective of what has actually occurred regarding spying, Shatters words and actions to date have given the appearance that he is more concerned about the fact that he wasn’t told rather than the fact that, on the balance of probabilities, somebody was undertaking electronic surveillance against GSOC.
As such he has demonstrated deeply flawed judgement.
David – on the basis that you are trying to assure yourself by asking over and over and over the same question – I have come to the conclusion that You even have a major doubt now ? Just wait until Sunday next and you may get your answer from John Mooney’s “Deep Throat” ?
Its not Callinans face that “annoys” people.There is something about a Garda eatablishment that dismisses all judicially non-biased carefully considered findings covering several high profile cases as an in-house problem that is deeply disturbing-almost as disturbing as the craven response of Government pols hell bent on ass covering.LIES WILL OUT.Thank God for people of conscience and integrity in the media and in the institutions of state thate would seek to crush them.Keep it up till truth will out.
Irish crime journalists and papers are too dependent on information leaked by the Guards for column inches.
If they do not know their place then they will loose that. So they fall in to line and we have obscene spin of the last few days.
It could very easily bring down this Government, the handling of it in the last few days has severely damaged them. Shatter and FG need to learn that they are not our divine rulers.
Also they {journalists} are removed from their jobs as was the case with Gemma O’Doherty who’s now removed from her post in the indo after exposing penalty points scandal. Check out Sunday times 09/02/14 p5.
David he is spot on on this one, the crowd that are accusing him of lying to the Dàil , are now I would say about to get rid of one or all of the ombudsman commissioners , if they lied to the minister, whoever he is , they have to go, they might think they can bully the police but do we want them going rogue and lying to the government and by extension , lying to us , you and me..
“we need to take a glance at Ireland, where a regulatory system enshrined by statute already exists in the form of the Press Council and Ombudsman. Technically, the ombudsman is professor John Horgan, but practically, the responsibility lies with Ireland’s justice minister Alan Shatter. This raises some serious concerns: Shatter has signalled his intention to bring in more formal privacy legislation.
Irish newspapers – broadsheets in particular – are more conservative than their British counterparts and rarely challenge the status quo. On those few occasions when Irish newspapers go out on a limb, the government is eager to step-in, threatening draconian new privacy laws.”
I’m watching this from the Middle East, and I have to say governments here could learn a thing or two from FG in relation too corruption, nepotism, and pure total incompetence! I want to come home, but issues such as this makes me realise why I can’t.
Oh grow up Michael and stop making ludicrous comparisons. So you’re in the Middle East, a bastion of liberal democracy and human right and independent Courts. A place known for its adherence to the rights of women overseen by the divine rule of Kings, despots and religious fundamentalists and this is preferable to Ireland? I suppose it is if you don’t have to mix with the long suffering population in that region. The “Middle East” is a big region. What bastion of democracy are you in at present? Saudi perhaps?
John, you have just made my point! Yes I’m in KSA and compared to Ireland it’s free and open to an Irish man. Live here a while and you would get my point
You’re in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ? An undemocratic religious fundamental despotic totalitarian State and it’s better than Ireland? You must be earring good money as a privileged westerner. I suppose it’s money that allows you to turn a blind eye to the totalitarian nature of that Kingdom and their treatment of women and minorities. You certainly fit the term “moral relativist”. The fact that you like it so much speaks volumes about you.
Wasn’t it one of those middle eastern counties whose Courts convicted & locked up a woman for having sex outside of marriage after she’d been raped!! Yeah, I’d much rather be stuck here in backward corrupt oul Ireland!!
Poor old OBrien is fcuked he is far to soft and straight for those two crooks, this has nothing to do with the Guards until they are asked to investigate the matter, so until then keep going about your daily duty of collecting revenue for the state in traffic fines and backing up the sherif with evictions for the banks
David ever occur to you that the Ombudsman does not trust either Shatter or Garda management. Plus it is entirely up to the Ombudsman if they want to report the matter as per the provisions of the relevant act.
It is obvious that the Ombudsman doesn’t have good relations with either. But he should still report something as serious as this to the minister. He has admitted this himself. No need to report it to the guards but should still report it to the minister. I’m with the Ombudsman and don’t like Shatter or Callian. But Shatter is still the minister for justice and there is no real reason it wasn’t reported to him.
I said very clearly the Ombudsman in not required to report the matter to the government. The law says the may report not they are compelled to report. Are you just pulling my leg or you can’t read?
But he is should have reported it to the minister and has admitted so. But it is understandable why he didn’t and isn’t a capital offence.
If the commissioner and shatter have any concerns about the GSOC then they absolutely should insist on an independent enquiry in order to protect the state. The people are the state not the government and police.
Paranoia written all over this. The anomalies refered to in the as yet unpublished report point to an inside job. Add to that the regular leaks of GSOC confidential information to the press and one is lead to suppose that a high level mole is at work.
I know that just because you are paranoid does not mean they are not out to get you but in this case it does seem that internecine warfare within GSOC is the big issue.
Well the commissioner has investigated this and found no evidence of bugging, no problem with penalty points, and nothing happened in donega, all investigated by the Garda
Funny how all the irrational posters on here that are baying for Shatter’s blood, despite that the issue is the inconsistent statements coming from GSOC, are the same names who emerge on the forum every couple of weeks shrieking alternately about either James Reilly or Phil Hogan.
The facts of the matter are – there are as yet no facts. The man in charge of GSOC has come out to say he ‘potentially suspects some form of surveillance ‘ – what the hell does that mean? Does he suspect surveillance or not? Is his suspicion based on any evidence or is it just a hunch? He know what form of surveillance he suspects, thus there is clearly no evidence.
How the angry mob then see this as Shatter’s problem makes no sense. Except of course if the angry mob is just the usual irrational anti-Government hype machine.
The angry mob are angry cos they have nothing else to do. Constant and timely updates on here by the same few expert tabloid readers. There’s better hobbies out there lads. Or a job would be nice. Anyway, back to work.
The track record of the Gardai as regards cooperating with the GSOC is appalling. There is a lot of politics going on here with the victim of the bugging or attempted bugging being blamed unjustly in my opinion. There needs to be a totally independent investigation by a respected outside police officer. However I can’t see this happening because the political will is not there and I’m sure that the Gardai would not cooperate with such an investigation. The Gardai should be accountable from the top down. At present the commissioner has no independent oversight. This has to change.
We do not reside in a democratic republic. Labour yet again are seen to be self fulfilling, We must change the structure of government at the upcoming elections. We must play our part by putting in place representatives we respect and trust. Sadly labour have turned their backs on such ideologies.
Eagle eye… i have not gone away even after your evil comments and character taking remarks about me in you PR duties . My life is an open book unlike yours . Smile the truth will out even if to god on your death bed
Likewise I have no faith in either the Commissioner or Alan Shatter who are joined at the hip, and it’s high time that the link between government and the Gardai was broken, with the appointment of an Independent Policing Board. This board would be responsible for all Garda appointments above the rank of Inspector, and would also have the power to haul the commissioner in and question him in relation to any policing matter. They also would have the power to remove the Commissioner if it is deemed necessary by a majority of the board. http://www.nipolicingboard.org.uk/
Best for all concerned to stop making any statements as they appear to only add to the speculation machine. Mr. Callinan might benefit from a reminder that he is a servant of the State i.e.( the people of Ireland). His statement of no authorised or unauthorised involvement by Gardai in bugging the GSOC might not satisfy the many thousands of observers at events since last Sunday.
Callinan has no credibility. He and Shatter are so close it is reminiscent of soixante neuf!
Coveney hushed up the horsemeat scandal and Shatter is trying to do the same for the bugging claim.
Anyone know where Kieran Boylan is? or how many gardai involved with him received promotions from Callinan. Would those gaurds not have reason to bug the offices?
Put Callinan, O’Brien and Shatter in front of a live tv camera in front of the nation and ask them all the same questions with straight yes or no answers and don’t take waffle from any of them
Publish the report from the security company that carried out the sweep.
Publish the written briefing from GSOC to Shatter and see which of the two is lying.
Going forward, install locks and access systems that record entry and exit to the building and each door within the building, with a system that enables an audit trail to be done to see who accessed the building and when the did. Access to the building is only given to employees of GSOC.
Audit trail to be downloaded every two days. Bug sweep to take place randomly 3 times a month with reports generated and cc’d to more than two people.
What about using your instinct. Remember instinct…we all have it. Shatter is lying..we can get bogged down in the nitty gritty but some basic information in the last 5 days points to a cover up. The focus of this is one side attacking the other. Why is this so? Independent inquiry please preferable by people outside the state
This is the problem with Machiavellism… You never know when an underling will blow the whistle on any untruth in a statement that you made. That’s why it looks like a “least said…” tennis rally.
Callinin said it wasn’t the Gardai yesterday Seanie. Now you might not believe him but he has said the Gardai weren’t involved. Would be pretty unprecedented to lie like that. He would be in prison for a long long time. So either they weren’t or he is sure it won’t get out.
So your accusing the minister of spying on GSOC. Which is certainly within the bounds of possibility but it seems very unlikely.
I have a bad feeling there will be nothing in this weeks Sunday Times. I think this massive frenzy it’s a warning to the paper not to publish. This is a huge cover up and it’s bigger than any bugging issue.
Loads of people. Also it’s not the main concern. If the GSOC is disbanded then we have lost our police watch dog. Also if the GSOC is reprimanded for all of this, will they be forthcoming with any further suspicion of Garda activity?
Is anyone at all considering the possibility that the surveillance of GSOC is coming from within GSOC itself and perhaps the result of rogue GSOC officials?
Anyone at all? Because it’s certainly just as probable that AGS surveilling them.
i don’t think so the only people that would have reason for the bugging is the guards, i do believe it was bugged and i agree with Obrien’s decision to bring in a uk team, the truth is there is nothing independent in Ireland, if nothing else the last few years have proved that. As for the bank trial just another charade they will be found guilty but there will be some reason put forward why they can’t go to prison. unless of course they go to Shannon airport and protest (Margaret D’Arcy 79 years of age). she nearly blew our cover of being neutral. tell the truth even the commissioner thinks that is disgusting so i won’t take on board anything he says.
If Gardai deny to bug GSOC then who? No one else including criminals but Gardai themselves! Callinan whom I believe he ordered the bug is fighting for his job!
What a big cover up, by yet again the corrupt government, the gardai are one of the most corrupt organisations in the country. Its about time the people of tje land stood up to them, its time for a revolution…corrupt garda out out out out!!!
It obvious the commissioner wants GSOG to be abolished, he should be sacked immediately his comments today were a disgrace to the Rank and file and to the public
Please explain how in the name of jaysus is that racist, ffs at least learn the meaning of a word before you use.
Xenophobic prehaps but racist?, how do some idiots even get access to the internet.
If you cannot see that then god help you. How can it possibly be described as xenophobic when the subject of her bile is Irish. She is making a stupid racially based link between an Irishman and a foreign security/intelligence organisation purely on the basis of ethnicity and religion!
Ben you’re an idiot, how FG hq is still allowing you to continue to post is beyond understanding.
No one around to help you tell the difference between a racist and a xenophobe, as for religion lets leave imaginary friends to children.
Norman, it is time to set aside your crayons and colouring book and concentrate. Why do you think she picked Israel for an Irishman of Eastern European descent?
So…cmon lads…do it like they do on CSI on the telly…determine the manufacturer of the bugging device and shortlist all the Irish purchases of this device in the last 5 years and start chasing leads. Find out who did it.
Yes, but then I’d be found out along with Sergeant Moriarty and nobody, least of all ourselves, wants to be caught up in that sort of business, now do we?
To suggest the Garda detectives would big the office would be stupid, they might get a third party to bug the offices. That is a different matter. I wonder do the detectives use their snitches to do work on the side. The film about General was a great insight into our society.
If the Commissioner can make such a sweeping statement about Garda non involvement, does he know something we don’t know about third party activity in the GSOC bugging?
'I was told to f**k off to my country': Our readers on their experiences of racism in Ireland
4 hrs ago
2.8k
Quiz
Quiz: How much do you know about Ozzy Osbourne?
6 hrs ago
8.1k
17
As it happened
Australia v British & Irish Lions, second Test
Updated
15 hrs ago
53.2k
87
Your Cookies. Your Choice.
Cookies help provide our news service while also enabling the advertising needed to fund this work.
We categorise cookies as Necessary, Performance (used to analyse the site performance) and Targeting (used to target advertising which helps us keep this service free).
We and our 214 partners store and access personal data, like browsing data or unique identifiers, on your device. Selecting Accept All enables tracking technologies to support the purposes shown under we and our partners process data to provide. If trackers are disabled, some content and ads you see may not be as relevant to you. You can resurface this menu to change your choices or withdraw consent at any time by clicking the Cookie Preferences link on the bottom of the webpage . Your choices will have effect within our Website. For more details, refer to our Privacy Policy.
We and our vendors process data for the following purposes:
Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development.
Cookies Preference Centre
We process your data to deliver content or advertisements and measure the delivery of such content or advertisements to extract insights about our website. We share this information with our partners on the basis of consent. You may exercise your right to consent, based on a specific purpose below or at a partner level in the link under each purpose. Some vendors may process your data based on their legitimate interests, which does not require your consent. You cannot object to tracking technologies placed to ensure security, prevent fraud, fix errors, or deliver and present advertising and content, and precise geolocation data and active scanning of device characteristics for identification may be used to support this purpose. This exception does not apply to targeted advertising. These choices will be signaled to our vendors participating in the Transparency and Consent Framework. The choices you make regarding the purposes and vendors listed in this notice are saved and stored locally on your device for a maximum duration of 1 year.
Manage Consent Preferences
Necessary Cookies
Always Active
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.
Social Media Cookies
These cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then these services may not function properly.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not be able to monitor our performance.
Store and/or access information on a device 149 partners can use this purpose
Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers, randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here.
Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development 195 partners can use this purpose
Use limited data to select advertising 158 partners can use this purpose
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times an ad is presented to you).
Create profiles for personalised advertising 119 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service (such as forms you submit, content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (for example, information from your previous activity on this service and other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (that might include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present advertising that appears more relevant based on your possible interests by this and other entities.
Use profiles to select personalised advertising 120 partners can use this purpose
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on your advertising profiles, which can reflect your activity on this service or other websites or apps (like the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects.
Create profiles to personalise content 51 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests.
Use profiles to select personalised content 48 partners can use this purpose
Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects. This can for example be used to adapt the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests.
Measure advertising performance 177 partners can use this purpose
Information regarding which advertising is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine how well an advert has worked for you or other users and whether the goals of the advertising were reached. For instance, whether you saw an ad, whether you clicked on it, whether it led you to buy a product or visit a website, etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of advertising campaigns.
Measure content performance 78 partners can use this purpose
Information regarding which content is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content e.g. reached its intended audience and matched your interests. For instance, whether you read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast or look at a product description, how long you spent on this service and the web pages you visit etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of (non-advertising) content that is shown to you.
Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources 111 partners can use this purpose
Reports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising) content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain contents).
Develop and improve services 116 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service, such as your interaction with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or improvement of user profiles and identifiers.
Use limited data to select content 51 partners can use this purpose
Content presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type, or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times a video or an article is presented to you).
Use precise geolocation data 65 partners can use this special feature
With your acceptance, your precise location (within a radius of less than 500 metres) may be used in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Actively scan device characteristics for identification 36 partners can use this special feature
With your acceptance, certain characteristics specific to your device might be requested and used to distinguish it from other devices (such as the installed fonts or plugins, the resolution of your screen) in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Ensure security, prevent and detect fraud, and fix errors 122 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly fraudulent activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots), and ensure systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be used to correct any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery of content and ads and in your interaction with them.
Deliver and present advertising and content 126 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device.
Match and combine data from other data sources 94 partners can use this feature
Always Active
Information about your activity on this service may be matched and combined with other information relating to you and originating from various sources (for instance your activity on a separate online service, your use of a loyalty card in-store, or your answers to a survey), in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Link different devices 67 partners can use this feature
Always Active
In support of the purposes explained in this notice, your device might be considered as likely linked to other devices that belong to you or your household (for instance because you are logged in to the same service on both your phone and your computer, or because you may use the same Internet connection on both devices).
Identify devices based on information transmitted automatically 116 partners can use this feature
Always Active
Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it automatically sends when accessing the Internet (for instance, the IP address of your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the purposes exposed in this notice.
Save and communicate privacy choices 103 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
The choices you make regarding the purposes and entities listed in this notice are saved and made available to those entities in the form of digital signals (such as a string of characters). This is necessary in order to enable both this service and those entities to respect such choices.
have your say