Lynn Ruane (Independent)
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I have had some off-the-record conversations with retired sergeants and some current police who have spoken about the past and when they started out, especially, being drawn in to using violence unnecessarily, especially in relation to working-class men. Can we truly move forward if we do not also create the space to speak about that? If I am asking communities to speak about the harm they have done, do we also need to expect the same of the institutions that have also contributed to that harm in the other direction? My concern is that while the safety programmes and new legislation looks well, is underpinned by evidence and has potential, if the transparency and justice piece between the existing conflict does not ever get unearthed, nobody will trust that process in that other small percentage of people who do not have the same trust, whether that be the Traveller community, young working-class men or others. Without speaking to any particular case, does Dr. Coxon envision a moment where we can take ownership of the Garda violence that has happened in particular communities?