Vol. 515 No. 6
54 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if the Garda participates in an organisation known as the International Law Enforcement Telecommunications Seminar; the role and function of the organisation; the proposals, if any, he has agreed with other EU Ministers regarding a common EU approach to the interception of telephonic or other electronic forms of communications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6830/00]
Officials of my Department and of An Garda Síochána have attended meetings of the International Law Enforcement Telecommunications Seminar. ILETS is an annual informal gathering of relevant agencies co-operating in accordance with their national laws for the purpose of considering developments, issues, problems and possible solutions that are of common interest in the area of the lawful interception of communications. Attendance at ILETS is by invitation only and participation varies from issue to issue.
All of the member states of the European Union are parties to the 1959 Council of Europe Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters. Parties to the convention are committed to helping each other in relation to criminal proceedings, such as obtaining evidence in one country for use in another, or serving summonses issued in one country or another. The member states of the European Union are currently engaged in negotiations on a convention the aim of which is to supplement the 1959 convention as it applies to them. Negotiations on the convention are continuing. Among the measures proposed for inclusion in the convention are provisions to regulate among member states the interception of telecommunications across borders in criminal matters.
Also on the EU front, international requirements for interception were developed for the guidance of the telecommunications industry. These requirements were adopted by Council Resolution of 17 January 1995 on the lawful interception of telecommunications and were published in the Official Journal of the European Communities No. C329 of 4 November 1996.
