Garda cyber bureau boosted in backlog battle

Gardaí have boosted staffing to its Cyber Crime Bureau to more than 30 members and plan to clear the persistent backlog in the examination of computers in child abuse imagery cases by this time next year.

The development follows another court case involving child abuse imagery in which concerns were raised regarding the delay in examining digital devices.

Brendan Phelan, aged 66, from Merrion Grove, Blackrock, Co Dublin, was given a suspended three-year sentence last week after being caught with nearly 60,000 child abuse images and videos.