Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

If the point made yesterday by Kevin Murphy about the Department of Health and Children has any truth in that context, which appeared to have a lot of support from the Opposition benches today, it is equally true about Garda management. If there had been problems for 20 years plus, I cannot be politically accountable because I am dealing with them, any more than they were the political accountability of those who failed to deal with them, even though, as Deputy Rabbitte has helpfully pointed out to the House. the requirement for an independent police authority was apparent to his party from 1982, for five years, and they did not deliver one line or section of it. They walked away from it.

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