Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

I object to this procedure. Mr. Justice Morris has published a serious report, the headline of which was that: "The combination of gross negligence at senior level, amounting to criminal negligence, and the lack of objectivity and corruption at levels lower than that, caused the scandalous situation to arise." Nothing could be graver than the report we have seen. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has said that the Dáil is the authority that will hold the Garda accountable. However, we are proposing to have a debate on this most important report that will merely take the form of statements. We will have no opportunity to question the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform or his predecessor, the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Deputy O'Donoghue. The Dáil will not have an opportunity to adopt a resolution on foot of the Morris tribunal.

We are told that next week the Government will guillotine the Garda Síochána Bill so that debate on it will be circumscribed and brought to an abrupt end. Clearly Mr. Justice Morris has criticised the way in which the Dáil has handled the issue and has asked us to look very carefully at the Garda Síochána Bill in the light of his report. The sort of debate proposed, which will merely comprise statements read into the record without conclusion or question followed by a guillotined Garda Síochána Bill next week, is not adequate for what is demanded of the Oireachtas on this occasion. The Minister will need to think again in respect of the arrangements for tomorrow's sitting and in respect of the proposal to guillotine the Garda Síochána Bill and push ahead with Garda reforms in the teeth of serious concerns on the Opposition benches.

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