Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The revelations in the second report of the Morris tribunal about the handling by gardaí of the tragic and, as yet, unsolved death of Richie Barron raise serious questions. I welcome the fact that there will be a debate on the report in the House this week. The report raises serious systems issues about the operation of gardaí at senior level and the relationship between the gardaí and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Today, the chairman of the Garda Síochána Complaints Board complained that a wall of silence met investigations into complaints.

Fine Gael believes in a strong, effective and accountable Garda Síochána. The people want to have confidence in the police force, want to see it on the streets and want to know that it is responsive to their needs so that when they call on the force, it will deal with them fairly and speedily, but all recent experiences, unfortunately, suggest the public cannot have that level of confidence.

The Garda Bill, which is awaiting Report Stage in the House, contains a number of measures that could bring about reasonable reform but the Government has failed to convince the Opposition that the contents of the Bill will meet the challenges laid out by Mr. Justice Morris. The Minister promoting this Bill, and the senior gardaí advising him, are intrinsically linked with the issues dealt with by the Morris tribunal. The decision by the Garda Commissioner to transfer five gardaí, who are criticised in the report, to Dublin on full salary has done nothing to bolster confidence that the lessons of the Morris tribunal have been learned.

Public confidence in the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has never been lower, not least because of his handling of the recent issue of café bars or his reported remarks that Fianna Fáil is a party of cowards and ruthless people, but also because of the general perception of his inability to handle this sensitive brief effectively.

I will make a constructive suggestion that the Taoiseach might consider. Everyone here wants to see a Garda Bill and a force in which the people can have absolute confidence. Will the Taoiseach be prepared to stall the Bill before Report Stage, invite a three person committee, chaired by someone with the experience of Mr. Chris Patten, to look at the Bill in terms of the Morris recommendations and fully address those recommendations and assess whether the structures for handling complaints against the gardaí are in line with best international practice? We all want to see a force that is exemplary in its standards and effective in its methods and that enjoys the full and absolute confidence of all people.

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