GSOC genie well and truly out of the bottle and an inquiry is essential

WHAT an extraordinary few days it has been. There is a temptation to reach for the term GUBU-esque in relation to what has unfolded with this blockbuster tale of bugging, surveilling, investigating and leaking.

What has made it all the more grotesque, unbelievable, bizarre and unprecedented is the effort that has been put into manipulating our reaction to this controversy concerning the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission.

It’s no surprise to see Government attempting to “feed” a line on a situation. But the audaciousness of their spinning in the last few days has been breath-taking. Added to this, and very disappointingly so, has been the reporting of the issue by significant sections of the media, and the manner in which this dodgy Government line was simply swallowed and regurgitated.