Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have huge sympathy for senior management in An Garda Síochána where this issue is concerned. It has been framed by Government. It is comparable to a primary school teacher asking what two plus two is and expecting a student provide an answer of four. As the witnesses have mentioned, the Government gave them the criteria. Are they comfortable with the Government dictating criteria about policing issues? On the independent authorisation as a police force, should it not be for the witnesses to decide what stations they feel are appropriate with their own criteria? Would Mr. O'Driscoll have been more comfortable, as an assistant commissioner, in dictating the criteria to Government and letting that inform the process of which station should be reopened, rather than gardaí being told what to do? I gave the primary school example to demonstrate how Garda management has been really framed with this. I have great pity for members of the force that were before the Committee of Public Accounts last week. In my view, they have been framed and thrown under a bus by Government with regard to this issue. The Minister and Department officials should set the criteria to provide answers for this.

As a senior member of the force, would Mr. O'Driscoll prefer to set the criteria and dictate, in his independent management position, what he feels is the appropriate set of criteria as an experienced member of the force, rather than being told what they are? That cycle and joining of the dots obviously came to the answer of Stepaside. The witnesses are really just providing legitimacy and cover for Government, which is wrong, in my view. I am not blaming the witnesses and they are obviously in a compromised position because they cannot comment on Government matters. If this process was commenced again, would the witnesses prefer to have the discretion to set their own criteria? They mentioned ports, airports and colleges, but they are not prioritised now because of the parameters and framework proposed by the Department.