Gay Mitchell
Ceist:78 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the outcome of his inquiries into alleged interception of e-mails, faxes and telephone calls from Ireland to Britain. [18184/99]
Vol. 508 No. 1
78 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the outcome of his inquiries into alleged interception of e-mails, faxes and telephone calls from Ireland to Britain. [18184/99]
I take it that the Deputy is referring to a Channel 4 programme, broadcast on 15 July this year, which alleged widespread interception by the British authorities of communications originating in this country. At that time, I instructed the ambassador in London to raise these allegations at a very senior level in the British Foreign Office. The ambassador emphasised the public concern, and that of the Government, about the allegations contained in the Channel 4 report. He was informed that it is the policy of the British Government neither to confirm nor deny allegations of specific intelligence activities, and therefore his interlocutor was not in a position to comment on the detailed points raised in the Channel 4 report. However, he informed the ambassador that the interception of telecommunications by British authorities was carried out in accordance with the British Interception of Communications Act, 1985.