Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)

——it appears the Garda had no knowledge in regard to the matter. It seems strange, as the Minister said, that the top brass was praised to the rafters and the representative body for the rank and file was straight into the breach to condemn what had taken place. Presumably there is some contact between the rank and file and their leaders. Will the Minister clarify how the initial request for the march took place? Was it that William Frazer, as the background document report states, contacted Pearse Street Garda station on 8 December 2005? That is the contact with the Garda, but what political contact was made? To whom was contact made and why did he go to Pearse Street Garda station rather than any other Garda station to contact the Garda? Why was the particular route chosen considering its potential for serious conflict and the absolute impossibility of maintaining a secure route there? Why was the particular date and time chosen, a busy Saturday afternoon on a match day? Having been present for a period I was there when the helicopter flew over at approximately 4.15 p.m. after more than three hours of rampaging through the streets. Can the Minister say where the helicopter was and where it experienced the difficulties? Did it experience difficulties in taking off to come to Dublin? I had thought the helicopter was located in the vicinity of Dublin.

I will not dwell on the equipment except to say I saw a large number of young female gardaí totally unprotected with any form of headgear on the street for up to three hours. Questions have to be asked about that type of policing. It certainly appeared to be ill-prepared and ill-equipped. Will the Minister agree there is a need for a broader investigation than an internal Garda investigation? The Minister set up the Ombudsman Commission for the purpose of looking into matters where there were serious questions arising in regard to Garda activities. Given that there was so much danger to life and limb of the marchers and of the citizenry and much property damaged, which has done irreparable damage to our reputation abroad, it is time to put in place an independent investigation that will look at the broader circumstances of what happened, how it happened and why we ended up with a debacle in O'Connell Street.

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