Paul Murphy urges inquiry into Catalan Gate Pegasus spyware
Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach to comment on Catalan Gate, alleging Catalan politicians and activists were targeted with mercenary spyware and calling for an official inquiry. He said the pattern of targeting coincided with political events, noted at least 65 individuals were affected, and suggested state involvement.
Allegations of spyware targeting
Murphy outlined claims that the campaign targeted the Catalan president, legislators and every Catalan MEP who supported independence, and that off-centre targeting included spouses, siblings, staff and parents. He said the targeting coincided with the referendum and raised suspicions about who would benefit from the operation.
Evidence cited and implications
Murphy pointed to a report that the Pegasus software is sold exclusively to governments and noted that the Spanish Prime Minister's office has claimed it was unaware of the operation. He argued these points implied possible state involvement and framed the issue as a potential infringement on democratic campaigning.
Response from the Taoiseach
The Taoiseach replied that the Spanish government has said it was not involved, and added that Pegasus has been used widely across the world. He said the matter is for the Spanish authorities and the Spanish political system to address and that that is the current situation as he understood it.
Calls for inquiry and rights concerns
Murphy asked whether the alleged surveillance would represent a very serious infringement on the democratic rights of people to campaign for Catalan independence and whether there should be an official inquiry to determine who authorised the hacking. The speech centred on questions of accountability, the legal and political implications of state-linked spyware, and the need for clarity about authorisation.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
Thanks a lot. That's Kim McCoyle. Taoiseach, I want to ask you to comment on what has been dubbed Catalan Gate, a very serious scandal in the Spanish state, which has seen a huge number of Catalan politicians and activists being targeted with mercenary spyware. These included the Catalan president, legislators and every Catalan MEP that supported independence for Catalonia. This happened either directly or through suspected off-centre targeting, which involves spouses, siblings, staff or parents. The targeting coincided with political events, i.e. the referendum, and raises very clear suspicions of who would benefit from this, which suggests that it was being done by the Spanish state. There are at least 65 individuals targeted. The Spanish Prime Minister's office have claimed that it was not aware of the operation, but according to the group which produced the spyware programme known as Pegasus, it is sold exclusively to governments, which therefore implies, and there are clearly other reasons to suggest, that it was the Spanish state. Do you agree that this would represent a very serious infringement on the democratic rights of people to campaign for Catalan independence? Do you agree that there should be an official inquiry to determine who authorised the hacking? Thank you. Thank you. In terms of the Catalan gate that Deputy Murphy raised, again, the Spanish government is made clear that it was not involved. That Pegasus software, I understand, has been used widely across the world. Again, it is a matter for the Spanish authorities and the Spanish political system to deal with. I would seem to be briefed further on it, but that is the current situation in relation to it. Well, Iain! Thank you very much for having me. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Iain Yara Iain
Thank you for downloading 🙏
If you publish this material on social media, we would be very grateful if you tagged VideoParliament. It helps us reach more people and keep building a transparent archive of Irish politics.
