asked the Minister for Justice if he will give an assurance that the telephones of Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas are not tapped.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Telephone Tapping.
54.
It has been the consistent policy of successive Governments down the years to decline to say whether or not postal or telephone warrants have been issued in particular cases. The former Taoiseach, Deputy Lynch, speaking here on the night of 8th-9th May, 1970, Vol. 246, col. 1332, re-stated and explained in some detail the necessity for this policy but said that, in the circumstances that had then arisen, he would, as an exceptional measure limited to that occasion only, confirm that no warrant was in force in respect of any member of the Oireachtas. My predecessor, Deputy O'Malley, adopted the same policy in a reply to a number of questions on 17th February, 1972, while formally repeating the assurance on that occasion, Vol. 258, col. 2138.
For the reasons detailed by the former Taoiseach as to why assurances about these warrants should not be given in particular cases, I could not agree to initiate a policy of giving such assurances periodically, even in relation to Members of the Oireachtas. However, as this is the first time the matter has been raised since such an assurance was, even though exceptional, given by my predecessor, I must have regard to the possibility of misunderstanding if I leave it at that.
Accordingly, to avoid that risk, I am prepared just on this occasion to confirm that there has, in fact, been no change in the position as outlined by my predecessor and to say, furthermore, that I see no reason whatsoever to envisage any change in that position in the future. I am giving this assurance on the basis that, as far as I am concerned, it is intended to be the final one and not to be repeated on any future occasion.