Vol. 489 No. 2
140 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of instances whereby approval was given for telephone tapping in situations other than those instigated by the Criminal Assets Bureau; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7770/98]
Ministerial warrants under the provisions of the Interception of the Postal Packets and Telecommunications Messages (Regulation) Act, 1993, are issued in very exceptional circumstances in the public interest when this is necessary for security purposes, or for the prevention and detection of serious crime, and then only for the securing of information which can be obtained in no other way.
As indicated to the House by my predecessors on several occasions, it has never been the practice and it would be contrary to the public interest to disclose any information regarding the number of such warrants which are in force at any particular time.
