The revelation that An Garda Síochána sought a court order to access the private correspondence of Gript Media has sparked significant political reaction, with several representatives have condemning the move as an alarming attack on press freedom.
Independent TD Mattie McGrath strongly criticised the development, describing it as “shocking”.
MATTIE MCGRATH: “WE’RE BACK TO THE DAYS OF THE HEAVY GANG”
“I think it’s shocking, because we live in a democracy with a fair and free press,” he said.
“Am I surprised? I’m not. I’ve said this countless times, I said it when Charlie Flanagan was Minister, and I said it when Helen McEntee was Minister: we’re back to the days of the Heavy Gang in 1973.”
McGrath said that the Garda ‘Heavy Gang’ used to “terrorise people, including opposition and people they didn’t like, often under the auspices of anti-terrorism.”
“They were known for this,” he said.
“So am I surprised this happened? No. I think it’s scurrilous, outrageous, and it’s beyond belief.”
He further expressed hope that the new Justice Minister, Jim O’Callaghan, would investigate and take action against such practices.
PAUL LAWLESS TD: WHEN OUTLETS TRY TO HOLD THE GOVERNMENT TO ACCOUNT, “IT SEEMS IT COMES WITH A PENALTY”
Aontú TD Paul Lawless echoed similar concerns, saying the development was “very worrying.”
“The press do have an important function,” he said.
“In a liberal democracy the press have a really important function to hold Government to account, and it is disappointing that when outlets seek to do that, it seems it comes with a penalty,” he said.
“And that has a chilling effect that will have massive repercussions, not just for Gript, but for outlets right across the country.”
KEN O’FLYNN TD: “WE SHOULD NEVER HAVE THE GARDAÍ INVOLVED WITH THE FOURTH ESTATE”
Independent Ireland Chairman and TD Ken O’Flynn described the situation as highly “unusual” and unacceptable.
“I was quite surprised when I heard that story – I thought it was very unusual, to say the least,” he said.
“I have great respect for An Garda Síochána, but I also have great respect for this media outlet and other media outlets. I don’t think going behind media companies’ backs, trying to get injunctions, trying to find out our personal information, and trying to go through people’s email accounts, going through their messages, seeing who their sources are, is acceptable. It is very, very concerning.”
He called on the Minister for Justice to make a public statement on the matter, emphasising the importance of a free press: “This is about our media. This is about the media that holds the entire country to account, that tells the truth—whether it’s your outlet or somebody else’s outlet. Journalists are reporting on the facts. We should never have the Gardaí involved with the Fourth Estate.”
CONCERNS OVER THE MINISTER’S AWARENESS
O’Flynn also criticised Minister O’Callaghan’s claim of being unaware of the matter when questioned on Virgin Media: “That either tells you two things—the minister is not on top of his brief, or the minister isn’t up to the job. So you take your pick of what that is.”
He added: “I’d hope to say that maybe he just wasn’t on top of it today. But that’s very, very worrying if a minister doesn’t know what’s happening in his own country, what’s happening in his own department, where he’s responsible for.”
SENATOR SHARON KEOGAN: “AS A POLITICIAN I’M SHOCKED TO READ THIS”
Independent Senator Sharon Keogan also raised concerns about whether the Gardaí had sought data from X or other platforms regarding politicians.
“As a politician I’m shocked to read this,” she said.
“This is extremely worrying for those of us who provide opposition to the government. Has @GardaTraffic sought any data from @X or any other social media platform on any person in the political arena? We need to know. Every journalist needs to speak out on this, they could be next. #FreePress #FreeSpeech”
CAROL NOLAN TD: “THIS IS A DEEPLY ALARMING DEVELOPMENT”
Meanwhile, Independent TD Carol Nolan described the issue as a “deeply alarming development,” drawing parallels with past state surveillance controversies: “It reminds me of the state-sponsored Kinzen episode when some of us spoke up in defiance of the official narrative during Covid-19. Although this appears far more serious. I will be raising urgent Parliamentary Questions on this matter.”
The controversy has intensified debate about press freedom in Ireland, with Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan pledging to examine the matter further.