The Irish Secret Service spent almost €360,000 in 2002 in the course of gathering intelligence on groups deemed to pose a threat to the security of the State.
Figures before the Public Accounts Committee yesterday revealed that while the Secret Service had a budget of €900,000 in 2002, some €540,000 was returned to State coffers because it was not spent.
When the committee chairman, Mr John Perry TD, asked Department of Finance officials what the Secret Service did, there were cries of "It's a secret".
While the Garda is charged with safeguarding the security of the State, including intelligence-gathering, the Secret Service has brought an added dimension to security in recent years. Little is known about it, but it is believed to be made up of a small group, thought to be former gardaí.
