I propose to take Questions Nos. 1, 34, 69 and 70 together. I remind the House that matters arising from the RTE "Prime Time" broadcast of 2 November are the subject of legal proceedings by the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications in relation to that programme. In the interests of not jeopardising these proceedings in any way. I am obliged to exercise caution in what I say in relation to this matter.
Deputies will be aware from previous Dáil questions and debates on this matter that a number of letters received by Ministers and others were referred to the gardaí to enable them to decide whether a criminal investigation should take place. The Garda authorities have been in contact with relevant Government Departments in this regard and, while no new or separate investigation has been initiated arising out of the "Prime Time" broadcast of 2 November, the gardaí have taken account of the broadcast in the context of the assessment on which they are already engaged.
In her reply to questions on 24 October, the Minister for Justice replied at some length on the manner in which the allegation that the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications had been placed under surveillance was dealt with. I refer Deputies to the full reply the Minister gave on that occasion.
The House will be aware from that reply that the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications provided information to a senior Garda officer on 25 July concerning an allegation, contained in a letter he had received, that he and others had been placed under surveillance. The Minister also told the House that the Garda authorities subsequently informed the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications and the Minister for Justice that having examined the information provided and taking the Garda's investigative role of criminal issues into account, they had decided they had no investigative role in relation to the particular allegation of surveillance.
The Minister for Justice also informed the House on that occasion that, in view of the decision which the Garda authorities had taken in relation to the surveillance allegations, no report was prepared by the Garda Síochána on the surveillance issue, and that the question of the content and conclusions of such a report did not, therefore, arise.