Susan O'Keeffe (Labour)
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Obviously, as other members have noted, the original report and the meeting the joint committee had on this issue were fairly shocking. The language used was carefully chosen and when one sees carefully chosen language. one always knows it speaks volumes about what is not being said. I am quite shocked today by the Commissioner's initial presentation. I have been sitting here thinking of what word would be appropriate and that is the one I have come up with. As Senator Ó Clochartaigh noted, I believe there is a distance between these two statements. One could not know that these two statements had anything to do with each other. I am surprised that as Commissioner, having been obliged to read what was said here in July and given what he already would have known, that when making his opening statement to members he did not make reference in a much stronger way to the criticisms that were made in this document because they were very serious. Delayed as it was, this was the Commissioner's opportunity. Deputy Charles Flanagan raised that matter and I concur. While it was delayed, these things happen and here we are. If one did not know, were one to come in here as an outsider without being aware of the original document, one would be forgiven for thinking that while the Commissioner had stated it was not perfect, things were going okay.

These two statements have nothing in common with each other and that is quite telling, as are the Commissioner's comments just now about having no choice by law but to deal with the ombudsman commission but yet, at the same time, he really would wish it were different. He would like there not to be, I believe the words he used were "a constant stream of complaint". In a modern age, where we are all striving for transparency, I would have thought the Commissioner of the Garda Síochána in this State would welcome the fact that people felt able to complain and that he was able to put aside-----