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INDEPENDENT TD SHANE Ross says that an investigation may take place into the spending of €500,000 on recording equipment for Garda stations.
The tender for the supply of the recording equipment was made public in 2008, seeking a number of recording devices.
It asks for:
It is believed that the apparatus’ were installed in 21 stations, at a cost of more than €500,000.
Speaking today on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Ross said that he will be asking the Public Accounts Committee to investigate if public money was misspent.
“The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will have to look at the value for money in the systems, but there is a bigger issue of whether this recording was legal.”
Ross said that the system may have been used for legitimate purposes, but it was no longer being used for its original purpose, which is the recording of bomb threats.
“The first thing I’m going to do is get in contact with John McGuinness (Chair of the PAC) and ask that we bring in officials from the Department of Justice and the former Garda Commissioner.
“We have a serious remit here. We have a public duty to find out the circumstances under which this tender was granted.”
Ross said that there were “bigger fish to fry” surrounding the controversy, but said that finding out how the system of recording was initiated is important.
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This government seems to have no problem passing laws that have great potential to expose citizens to danger and deny them rights, but when it comes to introducing laws to enhance citizens’ accessibility to social goods, such as housing etc, they find any amount of barriers to use as excuses to do nothing.
@Jim O’Sullivan: which proposed laws ?
Dangerous, just look at Canada and see where this goes…..
@McMahon G: Or the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, various American states, Luxembourg, etc.
@McMahon G: Forty million Canadians wouldn’t agree. I see it as a basic right that people are entitled to ask for. Who would want to suffer needlessly? We wouldn’t do it to a pet.
So do it!
Funny how evertime ffg are presented with a situation that will clash with Catholic ethos, They deflect and kick the issue down the road. This is cowardice of the highest kind and something a person who claims to be capable enough to represent citizens , Should never do, thats if they had an once of integrity.
have your say