John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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From my point of view on the report, I wished to raise the issue of the internal Garda report. I agree with Deputy Ross that the day of internal reports or secret reports or reports that are kept secret is over. Any reports that are conducted privately and produced on this kind of matter, as well as on the loss of revenue to the State, should be publicised.

There is an issue in respect of the McCabe report and the evidence we heard at our hearings on the whistleblowers afterwards. It could be glossed over, but the fact of the matter, in respect of our report, is that the force did not listen to Sergeant Maurice McCabe. He was treated in a way that was just unacceptable, in particular when he was attempting to do his job and point to the wrongdoing and the loss of revenue. It took the Committee of Public Accounts to provide the platform in private for him to explain it. I wonder how much would have been uncovered had we refused him the opportunity to be interviewed in private. He spent a long time trying to draw attention to this issue in the force. He raised it in many public forums and with Members of the House, but his superiors did not listen to him. That must be questioned, not just because he gave evidence here but also because a number of other whistleblowers have come forward, of whom Una Halliday is one. However, there are others and there is correspondence relating to them for today's meeting. They are not being listened to. Somebody in the system must cry "Stop" to the cover up on the issues whistleblowers have been exposing. We have an opportunity in the report to highlight this relative to Sergeant McCabe and the need for independent reports from outside the system on which the Oireachtas could rely. The system is simply not working. We must take into account the fact that after all of the hearings, after everything that has been said, further reports were made to the Commissioner on the abuse of the penalty points system. I think it happens regularly. The report will be presented and go to the Minister. How will it influence the changes that need to take place? Reform needs to take place. It is up to us, as Deputy Shane Ross said, to tell it as it is. That has to be done. It is about taxpayer's money, governance and how Accounting Officers of Departments manage their affairs. I would have grave doubts about the respect shown to whistleblowers and the information they bring forward. That must change. We can reflect this in the report.