Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)

I am aware of that. I share Deputy Jim O'Keeffe's concerns about the manner in which it is proposed to take Report Stage today. As my party leader, Deputy Rabbitte, has said, Mr. Justice Morris's main recommendation was that the Oireachtas should review the Garda Síochána Bill 2004 in the light of his report. The House took four hours of statements on this matter on Friday, but Members were not given an opportunity to debate the issues with the Minister or to ask him questions. The Labour Party tabled a motion last night, on which discussion will resume tonight, in an attempt to further that debate. Clearly, in the two weeks since the Morris tribunal report was published, there has not been a proper opportunity to tease out the full implications of the report's findings and recommendations. The Minister has responded, in the way he does, with amendments which are off the cuff and off the top of the head. He is changing his mind on the nature of the amendments not just from hour to hour but from minute to minute.

For example, already in the course of this Bill we have seen what happened with the first proposal two years ago for an ombudsman, which, when the heads of the Bill were published, was to be an inspectorate. That was then changed to an ombudsman commission. If we consider the proposals before us, that has been changed to what in effect is an ombudsman chairman with all the powers of an ombudsman. The Minister has done a full circle in the course of this legislation and, with pressure now on him, is beginning to see the light.

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