Mr. John O'Driscoll:

On the last matter, the acting Garda Commissioner made an important comment in that he said that we are aware of the political situation but it is not for us to get involved in that. I am aware of that. When it comes to a general election, each party will go to the people and say what it would like to do about policing. We might prefer one proposal over others but it is a matter for the people to vote the Government in. Where we have an arrangement such as happened as a result of voting and there has to be negotiation between parties, we also realise that there is negotiation about policing issues and it is in that context that we understand that this proposal was agreed.

On our independence, there may be an element of frustration that I have not completed my report yet. I think that is because of the independence that we have shown. Nobody has put pressure on me. When I have said that I am not ready yet, it has been accepted. I have submitted interim reports. When I decided, though nobody asked me to, that maybe other criteria could be examined, I put them in that report. I believe it is important to include them. Another issue I raised in it is the mobility project. The extra funding given to us by Government for technology is going to go partly towards a mobility project which will allow access on the ground by members of An Garda Síochána to databases such as PULSE without having to be in stations. I give an example from New Zealand in that report and how that has prevented a necessity for consistent returns to stations. We hope to go on a pilot in the near future to show just how beneficial this will be in one particular city in Ireland. That should also be taken on board. I will leave it to Government to examine other recommendations that I make. It is important to note that when the six stations are chosen, there is also a programme prepared by our housing section for priority for developments of new stations and renovations of stations. The decision has yet to be made as to where this will slot into that schedule of requirements.

I spent some years working in immigration and was hugely concerned that we did not have a Garda station appropriate to dealing with foreign nationals who, for a number of reasons, might end up in either Garda custody or interacting with us. I made a firm recommendation related to that and mentioned it in detail in the report. I understand that the go-ahead is now there to proceed with developing that facility at Dublin Airport which will go a long way and which I sought for many years. I was very critical about it not existing. I think that is, in fact, getting significant priority and will perhaps be dealt with ahead of other issues. We are also aware, and I mentioned it in my report, that the station on Fitzgibbon Street, which I served in for many years, is also given priority because of the gangland and drug issues.