Who is the Complaints Referee?

I've written quite a lot about the outdated nature of surveillance oversight in Ireland (PDF), including its lack of transparency.

This is highlighted by the fact that the state does not publish the identity of the Complaints Referee - the person responsible for investigating certain complaints about wrongful surveillance, interception of communications, and access to phone records. While the name isn't secret, there is no publicity as to who has the role at any given time.

In the interests of transparency the current Complaints Referee is Judge Dara Hayes of the Circuit Court.

The Complaints Referee can be contacted at: Office of the Complaints Referee, Áras Uí Dhálaigh, Inns Quay, Dublin 7. There is no other website, phone number, email address, or fax for the Complaints Referee. I will let the reader decide what that means for the credibility of the Irish state when it comes to overseeing state surveillance.