Call for probe into whether Irish phones were hacked

THE Government should investigate whether the News of the World hacked phones of people in Ireland, a Labour senator has said.

John Gilroy said that, if the reports of hacking by the paper in Britain were true, “it is appalling that the privacy of bereaved people has been breached in addition to the integrity of police investigations being compromised”.

He said the News of the World had wide circulation in Ireland, therefore, the issue should be examined by the Government.

“It is of concern that if such low ethical journalistic standards pertain in the UK, as media commentators have suggested, the practice might occur in this country as well,” Mr Gilroy said.

“In the UK, some blue-chip companies have withdrawn their advertising from the newspaper. I wish to go one step further in asking the (Seanad) leader to liaise with the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to ascertain whether the practice has occurred or is occurring in this country.

“I understand that before action can be taken, a complaint must be made. However, given the seriousness of the situation, I do not believe we can wait until such a complaint is made. There are voluntary codes of practice among the media in this country and perhaps the minister might explore them to see whether the practice is occurring.”

Mr Gilroy’s Labour colleague, Ivana Bacik, called on people to boycott the paper in protest at the British revelations.

“It beggars belief that a newspaper could do this. It is the most disgusting thing I have read in some time. The News of the World boasts that it is one of Ireland’s biggest-selling Sunday tabloids. It has a circulation of more than 130,000 copies and a readership in excess of 500,000 in Ireland. Those readers should vote with their feet and not buy this newspaper in light of these shocking revelations.”