Opening Remarks by the Minister for Justice and Equality, Frances Fitzgerald TD
The need for the Computer Crime Investigation Unit of An Garda Síochána to be allocated additional resources and the urgent need to upgrade their IT system to combat child pornography and to ensure the effective pursuit and prosecution of paedophiles.
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn
I would like to thank the Deputy for raising this important matter and I am of course aware of the recent reports regarding the investigation of child pornography cases.
At the outset let me assure the Deputy that I am determined that we do all that we possibly can to counteract the sexual exploitation of children. Very properly, we already have significant penalties for child pornography offences under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998.
When this matter came to my attention, I immediately sought a report from the Acting Garda Commissioner on the question of any backlogs in this area, including with respect to proposals to address any difficulties which have arisen. As Deputies will appreciate, specific investigative strategies are a matter for An Garda Síochána but I consider it essential that Gardaí are in a position to investigate these crimes effectively. I have now received a preliminary report on the matter from the Acting Commissioner which addresses the role of the Garda Computer Crime Investigation Unit (CCIU) and their central input in the investigation of these sorts of crimes.
A review of processes at the CCIU has been conducted with a view to reducing the time taken to conduct the forensic examination of suspect computer media in the context of seeking to identify evidence of child pornography images. Arising from this, and in the light of consultations with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and Senior Counsel, new Standard Operating Guidelines were put in place in October 2013. The guidelines seek to ensure that relevant procedures are as efficient as possible, consistent with what is required to support effective prosecutions. I am further advised that all examinations of suspect media are now conducted according to these guidelines.
The phenomenon of internet and computer crime, with its transnational dimension, presents enormous challenges to police forces, including with respect to the effective deployment of resources. In this regard the Commissioner has directed an immediate comprehensive review and a strategic realignment of capacity to deal with crimes of this nature, including in the area of child pornography. I am advised that this will involve liaison with international partners and national experts to identify effective collaborative approaches.
While I welcome that very important review, in the interim, and following my examination of the report I received today, I intend to meet with the Acting Commissioner to discuss the issues involved and, in particular, the need to ensure that child pornography cases are pursued rigorously and quickly. I will certainly raise at that meeting the issues mentioned by Deputy MacLochlainn today.
The challenges faced in detecting and prosecuting computer crime are very real ones, faced by law enforcement throughout the world. In more than any other area, however, when it comes to the shocking abuse of children that child pornography represents, I will be insistent that we come up with strategies to overcome those obstacles.
Again, I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter and I will certainly pursue the points raised during the debate.