Snooping level 'relatively low', says Minister, as access figures are revealed

Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has denied “widespread” spying on the public amid revelations State authorities secretly request as many as 1,000 phone and internet records every month.

A day after ordering a judge-led probe into Garda and Garda Ombudsman powers to access journalists’ mobile phone records, she said snooping on private communications in Ireland was “relatively low” compared to other countries.