Latest: Gardaí welcome clarity from Fennelly Report; Leo Varadkar 'reassured'
An Garda Síochána have welcomed Judge Nial Fennelly’s report into phone tapping at Garda stations, saying it brings "clarity".
They said the final report by Judge Fennelly is "an extensive and detailed report that will take time to study and review".
They have welcomed the report’s "clarity on the legal status relating to the retention of phone data".
They said: "We will work with the relevant authorities on the recommended legislation on this matter.
"There will now be a detailed examination of the report and where any organisational issues are identified they will be addressed as quickly as possible."
The Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar has said it is reassuring that the Fennelly Commission report has found recordings of telephone calls in Garda stations were not misused.
An investigation into the mass recording of phone calls in Garda stations for decades has found the practice was not lawful, but no criminal cases were significantly affected by the practice.
The Fennelly Commission report which has been published this evening says continuing the recording of calls should now be put into legislation.
Mr Varadkar said: "It seems to indicate from the initial briefing that I have been given that recordings were made unlawfully, and that is serious, and that there was no oversight of those recordings and no policy around why those recordings were made and what was supposed to be done with them.
"It is serious and I think it is right that a commission of investigation was held on it. What's reassuring is that it does not appear that any of the recordings were misused and therefore no convictions or prosecutions are unsafe, and that is reassuring."
