Liz O'Donnell (Dublin South, Progressive Democrats)

I welcome the opportunity to comment on the second report of the Morris tribunal, which, since its publication on 1 June, has sparked shock, outrage and concern among our citizens and in this House. Incidentally, hard copies only arrived on Deputies' desks this morning. While reaction to the report's content has been diverse, one unanimous element has been the praise for its thoroughness. I join in commending Mr. Justice Morris and his team for their public service in this regard. At a time of understandable "tribunal fatigue" it's important to say that.

I also commend the courage, tenacity and professionalism of parliamentary colleagues, Senator Higgins and Deputy Howlin, in this affair. As a former justice spokesperson in Opposition from 1992 to 1997, I was that soldier. I know that of all the areas in which to hold the Government to account, justice is by far the most challenging brief. Allegations against the Garda are particularly delicate to handle. The criminal justice system, by its nature can throw up paranoid, vengeful, enmeshed and even bizarre circumstances and allegations. For a Deputy to make claims on the basis of information supplied by members of the public can be fraught with risk and responsibility. As an ordinary Deputy one has no way of establishing the veracity of the claims. They may be false, vexatious or politically motivated. Reputations are at stake. Our Dáil privilege is a precious commodity, which must be used with prudence. Claims of corruption against the Garda rank high in the risk stakes for Deputies. The term "appalling vista" comes to mind from the Birmingham six debacle.

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