Michael McDowell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

It seems to me, going back to the comments I made about Ballybrack, that respect for An Garda Síochána, in some quarters, has evaporated. An impunity has developed incrementally on the part of people who confront gardaí. They will get away with disorder and conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace. In this context, I noticed an article in The Irish Timestoday about gardaí being worried about using batons because GSOC might get on their case and they might be suspended or under investigation for a long time.

Would the Commissioner agree with me that somebody, whatever we want to call them, and in deference to Senator Ruane, I will not use the word, "thug", but I will use a different Dublin term, "gurrier", confronting a member of An Garda Síochána should feel that if they use violence the response from the Garda will not merely be proportionate but that those responding will also come off best out of any confrontation? This seems to me to have been something that was the case in years gone by, but these people now seem to have no respect and no real belief that they will come off worse if they offer violence to members of An Garda Síochána.