Concern over new national intelligence body’s legal clout

The government has appointed a civil servant with no previous intelligence experience as its new national intelligence co-ordinator.

Dermot Woods has been given the job of analysing sensitive national intelligence from An Garda Síochána and the military intelligence branch of the Defence Forces, as well as other national agencies.

The appointment is part of an effort to improve the sharing of intelligence to ward off the threat of attacks from Isis as well ...