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THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS Committee is likely to seek information from An Garda Siochána and the Department of Justice on the money spent on systems that recorded calls in and out of garda stations, the committee’s chairman has said.
John McGuinness has told TheJournal.ie that the committee will discuss a request from the independent TD Shane Ross to investigate the awarding of a tender worth €500,000 for the installation or upgrading of recording equipment in nearly two dozen garda stations in 2008.
Ross wrote to the Fianna Fáil TD this morning and McGuinness said that discussion on the request will be held at the PAC’s meeting next Thursday.
He said “the likelihood is that we will pursue it” and added: “It is a piece of work that we could do.
“We would be dealing with the accounting officers of the Department of Justice and An Garda Siochána. We have no information about it so we have to get the information, look at procurement processes, the cost, the rationale behind that and then decide what we’re going to do.”
McGuinness did not rule out the committee calling the secretary general of the Department of Justice, Brian Purcell, and the acting interim Garda Commissioner Noirín O’Sullivan before it, but said for the time being the PAC will likely be seeking “paperwork relative to the procurement process”.
“If something arose out of that that we were concerned about then that could be the course of action,” he said of the possibility of public hearings with Alan Shatter’s most senior official and the most senior garda in the State.
Ross said in his letter to McGuinness that in order to ascertain the value of the garda tendering “we should probably call the top officials in the Department of Justice and senior Gardai as witnesses”.
O’Sullivan last appeared at the PAC in January when she sat beside Callinan as he made his now infamous ‘disgusting’ remark about the actions of two garda whistleblowers.
McGuinness cautioned that the committee’s remit is not the legality of the gardaí recording calls, adding: “We would just look at the rationale behind it, who made the decisions, how much does it cost.”
However, Ross said that if money was being spent on activities found to be illegal then this must be pointed out, saying: “I think that if the money is being spent illegally or for illegal purposes than we have to point this out.”
Despite the chairman of the powerful Dáil committee being keen to progress the matter, others on the PAC, including Fine Gael TD Simon Harris, said there are bigger issues at present.
“The most pressing issue is to examine the legal implications of the recordings,” the Wicklow TD said. “The issue of how much they paid for the devices is important, but is secondary at the moment.”
A committee source went further and suggested Ross was seeking publicity out of the whole controversy, saying: “It sounds like some members of the committee are looking for an excuse to drag the guards in for a bit of publicity,.”
Ross said that he was “unapologetic” about seeking publicity for the committee and its work.
He added: “I welcome publicity. The more of it the better, that’s the same thing to me as transparency.”
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Seriously enough on this already, phone calls were recorded no decent people will be affected by it! Move on
So just turn a blind eye to illegality when it suits yourself? You a Garda by any chance?
And no decent people will be affected will they not? Who do you think will end up paying the legal costs of those who decide to appeal their convictions because of this monumental fcuk-up?
How many hours worth of Garda time and resources will have gone to waste because of it? How many hours of court time will be eaten up by dealing with the fallout of it? ‘No decent people will be affected’, eh? You’re a clown if you’re being serious.
My uncles a Garda I tried to get in but got an adult caution for streaking through eyre square 3 years ago during race week so no I don’t fancy my chances but I respect the job they do I genuinely do, I go to work I come home no shit no fear of wondering will someone complain about me, will I be made scape goat for the failings of others and I’m happy with that but why tar the lads on the ground with the same brush as those higher up who have no idea of the pressure they are putting in their rank and file officers!
The McBrearty’s were decent people and look what happened when the Gardai conspired against them.
Ya the salt of the earth Mark!!
Really idiotic statement Gizmo. Cases are already binding affected and more to come. You just want to sweep it all under the carpet ? Why, I wonder ?
But 500k euro for upgrading 24 Garda stations recording equipment……come on!!
Spot on. I work in the recording industry. That figure is unbelievable. I’ve spent over 80k on recording equipment in my own studio and I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out what the hell kind of equipment they could have spent 500k on to record phonecalls?
It’s impossible. No way. It could have been done for an absolute maximum of 24k. Likely I could have done it for a fraction of that. But I’m certain it could have been done for 24k.
With the amount of bugging equipment being procured I’d have thought they would have gotten a discount.
The new commissioner won’t be any better. She sat with the old one for god knows how many years and was witness to all he knew, no doubt. Cut from the same cloth unfortunately. A former met or psni commissioner should take over.
Shane Ross getting himself all worked up again. He just loves the publicity.
More a case of doing what he’s getting paid to do. Unfortunately that makes him part of a very small minority in the Dail.
Shane Ross needs to be reined in. His pursuit of every potential scandal for publicity reasons is becoming embarrassing. Ironically it was Shatters arrogance when the former Attorneys General spoke out that the referendum on extending the remit of Dail committes was rejected.
PAC. This isn’t about the money spent by the Gardaí on recordings. It WILL BE about the massive amounts that will be spent in free legal aid and possible compensation if mistrial verdicts are sought and achieved.
The PAC ringleaders sticking their oar in on the story of the day, just to get on the Six-One news, again.
Who would have guessed???
The people of Ireland need to give Shane Ross a cape
Cut from a quilted collage of his property pyramid/’Seanie for Govenor’ cheer-leading spreads from numerous back issues of Spindo suppliments!
>>Shane Ross needs to be reined in.
I’m astounded at this comment. We need another ten Shane Ross’ in my opinion. I don’t know how the PAC can keep up with all the scandals
If it was about Gerry Adams or Sinn Féin, by jaysus sure we would never hear the end of it. I can just hear them in the Dail. “Come, come now Mr Adams. Shed some light on these issues instead of denying that you knew anything. No-body in the country believes you.” We respected politicians would never tell a lie, don’t you know. We are always honest with the people who we really love and admire for voting us in, ahem.”
Yea Jay & Sam kinda like the americans spending 19 million on a potty for the international space station!!
Folks, all the stations that had recording devices are divisional headquarters! Divisional headquarters are responsible for dealing with all emergency 999 calls! As we are all aware, 999 calls are recorded for any possible civil or criminal court cases! The €500k tender was for the upgrading and maintenance of digital visual and audio recording equipment ie: Interview room cameras or station CCTV systems! This is being blown out of proportion!
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