Phone-tapping inquiry report due out this week

The Government and An Garda Síochána look set to be dragged into yet another damaging policing crisis after Taoiseach Enda Kenny confirmed that the release of the Fennelly report into phone-tapping is due within days.

Mr Kenny told yesterday’s Cabinet meeting that the report into decades of allegedly illegal garda activity will be released “as soon as we can”, with his two-day visit to Germany from tomorrow limiting the publication windows available.

Mr Kenny said the document spans 740 pages and contains an 85-page executive summary outlining the impact of the alleged recording of thousands of phone calls since 1980.