Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)

The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is making a mess in introducing the Garda reserve and the relevant regulations, and dumping responsibility on the Commissioner by pretending it was his idea in the first place. Will the Taoiseach ensure that when the draft regulations are drawn up, as distinct from the rumours, they are brought into the House and are debated? The section in the Garda Síochána Act 2005 on the reserve Garda force consists of only 15 lines, containing no specific details, which has provoked a revolt by the Garda force.

The Minister continues to behave in the same fashion as he did with the Prison Officers Association. He has demoralised the Irish Prison Service and is about to demoralise the Garda service.

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