In court in Belfast yesterday, campaigners against political policing won a full hearing into the failure to include Northern Ireland in the Pitchford inquiry into undercover policing in Britain. This comes after the Stormont Minister of Justice officially requested its inclusion. The German Government has written to the British Government seeking the inclusion of the actions of the so-called spy cops in Germany and the Scottish Government has done the same.

British undercover police officers were also operating in this State but yet the Irish Government has so far refused to request the inclusion of their activities in that investigation. Why is that? I presume the Taoiseach has heard of Mark Kennedy, who was exposed as a secret member of the national public order intelligence unit. He had multiple intimate relationships with women using his false identity as an environmental activist called Mark Stone.

We are at this again. Deputy, please.

No, it is all in the public domain. The Minister has admitted to this. There is no-----

Deputy, please.

This is all completely in the public domain.

It is not in order. It is not in order to come into the House and name individuals inside the House.

It is in the newspapers.

I have an apology from the Metropolitan Police here. It is admitted; it is not in question. The Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality has answered questions admitting he was here. This man was here and had intimate relations with women using his false identity as an environmental activist.

If the Deputy is going to raise a matter of that nature, he should at least inform the Chair in advance. The Deputy is on his feet so he may continue.

It has been raised multiple times in the House. He was in Ireland and it is admitted he was in Ireland on multiple occasions. He participated in the Shell to Sea protests in the Taoiseach's constituency. He organised meetings here in the run-up to the protest in Gleneagles at the G8 in 2005. He was arrested by the Garda in Dublin on 3 May 2004. Sarah Hampton, a US citizen, met Mark Kennedy in Ireland in 2005. On Monday, in a statement read out in Dublin she said:

Finding out that Mark was an undercover police officer brought about a deep depression that seemed impossible to navigate, there were times I almost gave up completely. The process of seeking justice on this case has felt at times belittling, intimidating and downright scary. ... I felt I had been raped. I never consented to sleeping with a police officer.

He had other intimate relationships in Ireland based on a lie and an abuse of power. This political policing targeted at left wing and environmental activists breached their right to privacy in this State, which is enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights. Those affected are seeking answers and justice. Mark Kennedy was not just one bad apple. He was part of a system of political policing and abuse of rights. As well as him, we know of at least three other undercover British police officers who operated in this State - Jim Boyling, Mark Jenners and John Dines. There is a huge number of unanswered questions here. The Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality has confirmed the Garda was aware of Mark Kennedy's presence. On what basis and on whose authority did he have permission to operate here? Did the Garda know of other undercover officers? Was anybody convicted of any crimes as a result of any evidence or actions? Fifty-six convictions or prosecutions have been overturned in Britain as a result of his involvement. I have two questions. Can we have the publication of the report commissioned in 2011 by the Garda Commissioner into his activities and can we have a commitment to publish the report that is currently ongoing? Will the Irish Government join with the other countries affected in requesting the extension of the Pitchford inquiry to the actions of these undercover officers in this State?

The Deputy has put a lot of information before the House in respect of which I do not have details. I can confirm to the Deputy that the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade will meet with the Secretary of State, James Brokenshire, here in Dublin next week to discuss this matter. I do not have any further details I can put before the House now. The Minister will make a statement following his meeting.

I would like a commitment from the Taoiseach that when that meeting takes place, a formal request will be made for the inquiry to be extended to Ireland. It is incomprehensible and unexplainable why that request has not been made unless the Irish Government is saying its protection of British spies in Ireland takes priority over the wish of these people for answers and justice. We have more than enough political policing in this State already without allowing British agents to have a free run here too. There are pictures of Mark Kennedy in Ireland. There are pictures of him with the women affected. There are pictures of him at protests. The idea that has been put in some of the answers by the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality that he was not really operating as a police officer here is not credible. He participated in multiple protests and there is evidence of that. We have the apology, finally granted to Ms Hampton in January, which admits his actions from the point of view of the Metropolitan Police.

It is very important that the Government would make that request and would also publish all the information it has so far.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade has not seen the report to which the Deputy referred either. The security forces here would be very concerned about agents from an another country operating in this jurisdiction. We have had incidences of that in the past. I would prefer, if I may presume so, to allow the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, on behalf of the Government, to meet the Secretary of State, to have this matter and matters pertaining to it discussed, and for him to issue a statement after that meeting.