John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I again thank the witnesses for attending. This part of the meeting is concluded.

In conclusion of the Committee of Public Accounts for this Dáil term, I thank all those witnesses that appeared before us. I also thank the secretariat, back-up services and all members of the committee, including those currently serving and those who have been members during the course of the past five years. It has been an experience where, like today, we have often had to drag the facts and, in this case, the terrible abuse, out from behind closed doors that are well guarded and place them before the public in the hope that the various Departments that are responsible in this State take account of what has been done and take the appropriate action to ensure that the likes of what we have just heard and, indeed, what we have heard in the last five years does not happen again.

Regrettably, in terms of the Committee of Public Accounts' work, when one hears the description "inquiry into accounts of a State body" it immediately rings alarm bells. In the particular case that we heard today the bells rang true. We saw how it is often the insiders that carry out the reports and sometimes, in fact a lot of the time, that is not satisfactory.

To the whistleblowers that have come before us or that have contacted the committee, I want to put on record that I believe they have been very brave individuals. We were cautioned a lot about receiving evidence from Sergeant Maurice McCabe and look at the service that he did for the State. I think that the whistleblowers in this case are to be commended. Every effort should be made to protect the organisations that support the social workers and that ensure that the whistleblowers in turn are supported and protected.

One other issue that has crossed our desk is that often the last spin of the dice is when an agency of the State refers the issue in hand to the Garda and then the investigation is brushed into a cul-de-sac and does not go any further. That is something that is, perhaps, done to buy time or, perhaps, to create an escape for those involved.

This is something the Minister for Justice and Equality and the Garda should talk about to determine whether legislation is required to deal with the kind of instrument that might provide people with the get out of jail card they are seeking.

Reading the whistleblower legislation, one could be sucked in by it but it has been proven it now needs to be strengthened. More often than not, the whistleblower ends up as the person in the iron mask, silenced, in an office with no work. We have examples of this across various areas. The failed culture that allows this to happen needs to be rooted out. If it is not, this will continue.

I sat on this committee previously and have had the honour of chairing it for the past five years and I hope that, as we face into an election, those who are elected will have the bravery and courage to take on the job the electorate gives them and ensure, through legislation and their work on the committees of this House, they bring justice to those who deserve it, strike out to make a difference and bring about the reforms so necessary to ensure this State functions better. The divide that is emerging between the State and its people must be closed and we must have better representation.

This committee has done a fine job over the past five years and I commend committee members and staff on the work they have undertaken. I should also thank the members of the media. We will adjourn now and someone else will take up the baton after the election. Thank you.