Former Court of Appeal president George Birmingham has formally begun his role as Ireland’s first Independent Examiner of Security Legislation, marking a significant development in the oversight of the country’s security apparatus.
Birmingham, who officially started on April 2 with a €1.55 million budget for 2025, is establishing protocols to ensure sensitive information remains secure. His office is implementing “all appropriate and reasonable” operational and safety measures while developing working processes with relevant security agencies and departments.
According to The Irish Examiner, the Independent Examiner’s responsibilities are extensive, including reviewing security legislation to ensure it remains necessary and protects human rights, examining the efficiency of security services, and overseeing laws concerning surveillance and data retention powers. Birmingham will also review cases where information providers may refuse to share details with other oversight bodies on national security grounds.
Based in the former Garda Inspectorate office on St Stephen’s Green in Dublin, Birmingham oversees a small civil service team but has authority to engage consultants and advisers as needed. His office is developing memorandums of understanding with relevant agencies for effective collaboration.
While no complete list of agencies under Birmingham’s remit has been published, they primarily include the security branch of the Garda National Crime & Security Intelligence Service, the Defence Forces Directorate of Military Intelligence (J2), and relevant sections of the Justice and Defence Departments. The role may also extend to the Department of the Taoiseach, including the National Security Analysis Centre.
This new position consolidates oversight functions previously dispersed across multiple authorities, with Birmingham replacing three separate High Court judges who previously examined surveillance powers across authorized agencies.