Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I cannot either. In any event, it was an allegation that former Deputy Wallace took umbrage at being raised on "Prime Time", as well as the fact that the Minister for Justice had been informed of it by the Garda Commissioner. I am not saying there is political policing very often in this State but the Bill allows for it. The current Garda Commissioner will not be in place for much longer - which there are mixed feelings about in the force - nor will there be a law and order Fine Gael Minister for Justice, such as Deputy Harris, in the position forever. I worry that something like this is inherently open to abuse. I do not see what benefit it serves because there is a similar reporting provision to the Policing Authority in which the Commissioner can provide information that might be of relevance to the Policing Authority, which can decide to pass it on to the Minister. That at least provides a filter for what the Garda Commissioner thinks is of interest or relevant. If it goes to the Policing Authority and from there to the Minister, that is fine because there is a filter to ensure there is no political policing. As it stands, it facilitates, inadvertently or otherwise, political policing, or at least information about one's political adversaries being provided to a Minister for Justice. I have the utmost regard, perhaps more than many members of Fine Gael, for former Deputy Alan Shatter and his performance as Minister for Justice and Equality, as I have for Mick Wallace, but nobody could regard them as anything other than adversaries. When information about one, which is not hugely relevant to the security of the State, finds its way into the hands of the other via the Garda Commissioner, it raises serious concerns. We do not think it should be facilitated by law or by a new law being enacted, one anticipates, in 2023. That is the purpose of the amendment. If that amendment was to be made, there is still a possibility for information to make its way to the Minister but it would be via the authority.