Sale of scanners to monitor gardaí ‘should be curbed’

THERE were calls yesterday for greater restrictions on the sale of radio scanners commonly used by criminals to tap into garda communications.

The chairman of the Oireachtas Justice Committee said he would be raising the matter when the Dáil resumes in the autumn.

Fianna Fáil TD Seán Ardagh said gangs were using scanners to monitor garda radio systems and security firms while endeavouring to commit crimes.

“Secure garda radio communication systems are needed. The use of basic scanners by criminals in order to listen in to garda frequencies has been a serious matter for many years and I believe not enough is being done to try and tackle this problem.

“An urgent review of the situation is needed and I am calling on the minister for justice to do so.”

He said the sale of scanners was one area that needed to be looked at. “The Garda Representative Association has confirmed that the use of scanners by criminals is a very serious matter and restrictions on their sale are necessary,” said Mr Ardagh.

“I propose that scanners are sold on licence similar to that which operates for taxi drivers.”

He said buyers would require a certificate of character from the gardaí before a sale could be made.

Michael Kirby of the Garda Representative Association said he supported any restriction on the sale of scanners.

“It would be good to make it an offence to be scanning internal garda lines. Anything that would assist us in investigations or in stakeouts would be welcome.”

He said gardaí, particularly in sensitive cases, used their own mobile phones to contact each other.

“It’s not a satisfactory system.”

Mr Ardagh said that as Justice Committee chairman, he would raise the matter of secure garda radio communications with garda authorities, the Department of Justice and electronics experts.