The Minister for Foreign Affairs has instructed the Irish Ambassador in London to raise telephone-tapping allegations made by a British TV channel this week.
Mr Andrews said yesterday his Department was considering the matter in conjunction with other Government Departments, and that he had asked Mr Ted Barrington in London to raise the matter with the British authorities.
Channel Four News reported that the British government tapped all telephone calls between Ireland and Britain over a 10-year period. The calls were intercepted at a 13-storey tower in Capenhurst, Cheshire, from 1989 until the facility was closed down earlier this year.
The TV report said sources told the programme that although the primary justification for the action was the fight against terrorism, the information gathered was also of economic and commercial significance.
The Fine Gael foreign affairs spokesman, Mr Gay Mitchell, called for a full explanation from the British government, describing the reports as "disturbing".
He added: "This is not only an offensive act, it has commercial as well as political implications."
Channel Four News said the windowless tower contained electronic equipment to collect and store all faxes, e-mails, telexes and data communications.
A Home Office spokesman said: "In accordance with standard practice, the [British] government does not comment on alleged interception activity.
"Under the Interception of Communications Act, interception of any communication on a public telecommunications network in the UK requires a warrant to be signed by the Secretary of State.
"Where someone believes their communications have been intercepted in breach of the Act they can take their case to an independent tribunal or to the police . . . "