Leak fears led GSOC to order HQ sweeps

The Garda Siochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) has said it ordered overnight surveillance clearance sweeps on its Dublin offices because it feared “exceptionally informed” comments aired in public had been leaked from its headquarters.

GSOC chairman Simon O’Brien said “heightened concerns” about confidentiality first surfaced in May of last year when GSOC had been involved in a number of high profile investigations, including a special report which had been highly critical over what it claimed was a lack of support from the Garda.

It contradicts what Justice Minister Alan Shatter told the Dáil on Tuesday that security checks were routine.