Taoiseach reveals bugging of prisoners

A fresh bugging probe has opened after the Taoiseach yesterday revealed phone calls between 84 prisoners and their solicitors were “inadvertently recorded”.

Last night, the Prison Service revealed that a further 55 cases had been identified, bringing the total to 139.

In a statement, it said that a new phone system had since been installed in July 2010.

The Irish Penal Reform Trust has called for an investigation into the issue.

The surprise announcement came hours after Justice Minister Alan Shatter brought it to the attention of the Cabinet at yesterday morning’s meeting.

The Taoiseach said he had asked Mr Shatter for a report from the Prison Service about the matter.

Mr Kenny said that the “anomaly” had come to the attention of the Prison Service on March 26. Following an examination, it established within two days that 84 prisoners, “who had more than one solicitor”, had their conversations “inadvertently recorded”.

The Taoiseach said the Prison Service had taken steps to rectify the matter.

The Prison Service statement said that, on the evening of March 26, the IT section told director general Michael Donnellan there might be an issue in relation to the recording of phone calls between prisoners and their solicitor in cases where a prisoner had more than one solicitor listed on the prisoner phone system.

Under this system, calls on two channels are not recorded: Channel 1 for prisoner-solicitor calls, and channel 99 for calls to Samaritans.

Some 84 prisoners were identified as being affected. All previously accessible calls were made inaccessible to staff as a result.

Mr Donnellan informed the Department of Justice on March 30. Further investigation identified an additional 55 current inmates affected, bringing the total to 139.

The Prison Service intends to write to the solicitors of the 84 prisoners currently affected and the 55 inmates historically affected to “inform them of this situation and to apologise for the inadvertent recording of the calls”.

The statement said the staff who had access to monitor prisoner phone calls were those at operations directorate level and IT. It said no one in the gardaí was provided with information from these recordings.

The Irish Penal Reform Trust said client-lawyer privilege was one of the “most fundamental protections in the justice system” and a “particularly important protection for prisoners”. A spokeswoman said: “Recording phone calls between prisoners and their legal advisers is in clear breach of the Prison Rules, the Irish Constitution, and the European Convention on Human Rights.

“It raises many questions which can only be answered by a full investigation.”