Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

He had no ministerial accountability. The Minister, Deputy McDowell, has argued that the alternative, a Garda authority, would be a quango which would eliminate accountability. Ministers support the idea of ministerial accountability to the House because it has become a worthless, devalued joke. The Minister does not answer questions on Garda operations and is not accountable for the actions of the Garda Commissioner or his force. Under the provisions of the Minister's Bill, the Commissioner will account on financial matters to the Committee of Public Accounts but will not otherwise account to any other committee of the Oireachtas. The Commissioner will become an unaccountable, one-man quango.

If anyone wants to know what ministerial accountability means in practice, he or she should look around the Chamber. It means Friday statements without questions, motions, amendments, voting or resolutions.

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