Government urged to clarify military intelligence powers in new phone tapping legislation

An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces utilise powers of interception, the former for the investigation of serious crime and State security and the latter for State security only. File picture

An oversight judge on phone tapping said it was “imperative” the Government urgently clarified in law the roles and powers of military intelligence in safeguarding the security of the State.

In his 2025 report, Mr Justice Tony O’Connor said the Defence Forces recently built a new high-security facility for the Irish Military Intelligence Service (IMIS).