Oversight judge calls for modern powers to combat changing threats to Ireland's security

George Birmingham, the independent examiner for security legislation, pointed out that current 30-year-old laws on phone interceptions is ‘seriously out of date’, as there is no legal provision to access digital communications such as messaging apps. File picture: Moya Nolan

The changing terrorism landscape, the need to modernise phone-tapping laws, and the impact of legal restrictions on accessing communication data all feature in the first report of Ireland’s new oversight judge on security.

The independent examiner of security legislation, George Birmingham, has just published his first report since the office was officially established a year ago.