The company at the centre of the Leinster House security camera row has denied that its products pose a “threat to national security”.
It comes after concerns were raised by Green Party TD Patrick Costello and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties about the presence of Hikvision cameras throughout the Leinster House complex.
Mr Costello wrote to the House of the Oireachtas Commission and Ceann Comhairle Sean Ó Fearghaíl last week asking them to review the use of the cameras.
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Australia announced that it was removing security cameras made by firms linked to the Chinese Communist Party from its defence department buildings.
However, in a statement to the Irish Mirror, Hikvision has downplayed the concerns.
A spokesperson said: "It is categorically false to represent Hikvision as a threat to national security. No respected technical institution or assessment has come to this conclusion.
“As a manufacturer, Hikvision does not store end-users' video data, does not offer cloud storage in the Republic of Ireland and therefore cannot transmit data from end-users to third parties. Hikvision cameras are compliant with the applicable Irish laws and regulations and are subject to strict security requirements.
"Hikvision products are sold via distribution partners and the company does not have direct contact with the many public and private sector 'end-user' organisations that purchase our products."
The Irish Council for Civil Liberties has also called for the cameras to be removed pending an investigation.
Its executive director Liam Herrick told RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne that it held concerns about the company sharing information with Chinese bodies.
“There is no suggestion that the cameras themselves are storing information, but they are connected to servers which can go on to communicate the information,” he said.
He continued: “We have raised concerns over many months with the Office of Public Works and the House of the Oireachtas Commission and we have had a standard response to say we believe we have proper data protection processes in place.
“But [there has been] no substantive answer to the question about the human rights issues involved or the national security question.”
In his letter to the House of the Oireachtas Commission, seen by the Irish Mirror, Mr Costello stated that mobile phones have been banned from Cabinet meetings over safety concerns and that the use of the Hikvision cameras should also be reviewed.
A spokeswoman for the House of the Oireachtas told the Irish Mirror that it does not comment on security matters.
A spokesman for the Office of Public Works (OPW), meanwhile, said that it "regularly consults with industry experts, including An Garda Síochána, with regard to these systems and installations".
He added: "In light of the recent developments regarding CCTV the OPW will continue to review best practice in collaboration with industry experts and implement any recommendations as necessary."
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