Irish IT company found ‘no evidence at all’ of bugging

The justice minister has said the Garda ombudsman has told him that a security threat at its HQ included a wi-fi device connected to a coffee shop below the watchdog’s offices.

Alan Shatter also said an Irish IT firm had examined details of the watchdog’s own security report and found “no evidence at all” of bugging at the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission.

The minister was speaking after the Government made a surprise decision to appoint a retired judge to review issues surrounding the alleged bugging of GSOC’s Dublin HQ.

Mr Shatter last night said that he had received fresh information which showed there were “differences that had arisen” around the bugging allegations.

One of three “anomalies” or security threats related to a wi-fi device discovered at GSOC last year.

Mr Shatter said GSOC had confirmed to him yesterday the device was connected to an Insomnia coffee shop within a Spar outlet on the ground floor of the building occupied by the ombudsman.

Mr Shatter also said he had used the services of RITS, an Irish IT security firm, to examine the work of British firm Verrimus who had originally reviewed GSOC’s security last year.

This separate RITS review concluded there was “no evidence of any technical or electronic surveillance against GSOC”.

Mr Shatter stated this meant no “evidence at all, not merely no definitive evidence” and that the Irish consultants disputed other conclusions reached by Verrimus.

Mr Shatter said that he had been the subject of “political attack” with claims that he was covering up Garda misconduct.

He denied recent claims that he diverted attention away from the issue of the alleged bugging of GSOC’s offices and accused the opposition of scoring political points. He said the differences that had arisen about the alleged bugging and the new details had now prompted him to arrange the review.

“Having regard to the differences that have arisen, the additional information I have received since I made my first statement to the Dáil, the ongoing nature of this controversy, its debilitating impact on the capacity of GSOC to get on with its work, and the continuing overhang of suspicion voiced by some, despite the conclusions of GSOC, that the gardaí or a member of the gardaí, was engaged in misconduct, I concluded that it was important to do what is possible and reasonable to bring an end to the ongoing controversy.”

But opposition TDs said that a full independent inquiry was needed, not just a review by a former judge.

Sinn Féin Cork North Central TD Jonathan O’Brien said the decision by the minister to set the terms of the inquiry was like “the fox designing the chicken coop”.

He and other TDS claimed the minister had been “less than forthcoming” with details last week.

The same party’s Kerry North TD Martin Ferris added: “The people from this State suspect that this scandal stinks to high heaven.”