Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Let me repeat that I am issuing a very clear warning shot that this is a very slippery slope. I understand the Minister of State is dealing with all the different recommendations and precedent and all the rest. At the extreme level it could be viewed as the privatisation to a certain nature of a certain section of the Garda. We know that in respect of the Central Bank, that regulation was being funded by the industry itself led to, in a sense, regulatory capture during a period of time. This is not the way to proceed. There should be an obviously beefed up and specialised fraud unit in the Garda Síochána and it should be paid for without any connections to the industry. If we believe the industry should be paying more, then they should pay it to the central Exchequer. There should not be those types of direct lines, regardless of what type of structure one would put in place. It is impossible in my view when one has an industry - and we are talking about a multi-billion euro industry - directly paying and employing a section of the Garda Síochána who will try to stamp out fraud. I am not suggesting that the Garda would be doing otherwise, but when they are doing it on behalf of the industry as opposed to on behalf of the State it is a completely different matter.

I know we are engaged in consultation and an examination. I hear what the Minister of State has said, that it is being pushed by the industry and that he has raised concerns. I am surprised it has made its way into this document. I would ask the Minister of State to step back from that. Obviously it would require legislation and all the rest.