Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)

A member of the force for 25 years, a married man with five children, who has never been involved in disciplinary proceedings of any kind, raised this issue. He asked what would happen to him, his wife and children if he could be dismissed without any possibility of recourse to due process, if a superior officer used that procedure against him without proper processes.

We owe it to the public to draw up a Bill in which it can have confidence. We owe it to the Garda Síochána to draw up a Bill which it can believe is in its interests too, and that fully provides for and implements due process. The way the Minister is dealing with the Bill will not achieve that outcome. These provisions will end up in court as sure as night follows day, unless they are properly teased out, debated and dealt with, and the way to do that is to recommit the Bill to Committee Stage to ensure we pass a Bill of which we can all be proud.

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