O'Dea dismisses story that gangs are using taped garda interviews

The Department of Justice has said there is no evidence to suggest crime gangs in Limerick are using taped garda interviews to identify informers.

A newspaper report over the weekend suggested tapes of gardaí interviewing suspects were being shown in Limerick pubs, where entrance fees were being charged.

However, the Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Mr Willie O'Dea, said there was no evidence to support the report and no evidence to support the contention that Limerick crime bosses were screening the tapes to ensure interviewees had not implicated them in any criminal activity.

"If this was happening it would be most unlikely that it was happening without it coming to my attention, I have fairly wide connections in the city. There's been no evidence to support it whatsoever." Mr O'Dea added he could not rule out the fact that tapes were being viewed in private dwellings.

However, even if this were the case he would not be "unduly worried". Suspects are entitled to access to books of evidence and these could be used in the same way it was alleged tapes were being used.

"The truth of the matter is we have no evidence to show that this is happening, or if it is that it is interfering with the prosecution system in any way".

Under current legislation a suspect who has been interviewed by gardaí is entitled to a tape recording of an interview. Many Garda stations around the country have been fitted with video cameras which are used to record interviews. The system was put in place to make the interviewing system more transparent, to protect the rights of a suspect and to protect gardaí from allegations of brutality or of extracting false confessions.