Vol. 566 No. 4
232 Mr. Morgan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas who are having their telephone conversations monitored at this time; the cost to the State of this exercise; if there are plans to extend this monitoring; and if any useful intelligence has been gathered to date. [13144/03]
Interceptions of communications are governed by the provisions of the Interception of Postal Packets and Telecommunications Messages (Regulation) Act 1993. The Act provides for judicial oversight of interception arrangements and the relevant High Court judge has consistently confirmed in reports made available to the Oireachtas that the interceptions which have taken place have been in accordance with the Act. It is not the practice and it would be contrary to the public interest to disclose if an authorisation to intercept has or has not been given in any particular case.
