Dáil debates

Tuesday, 28 February 2006

Public Order Offences: Statements (Resumed).

 

7:00 pm

Photo of Michael McDowellMichael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

No decision was made to withdraw gardaí from the front line, if that is what is being suggested. Rather, the public order unit was brought in.

The decisions made are fully documented in the material I have supplied to the House and I will not dump on the competence of those who made them. They were made in good faith and those concerned have handled many demonstrations in their time. I adopt fully the words of the agreed motion to the effect that gardaí behaved in a fair and proportionate way. One Member has stated that perhaps gardaí should have used more force. However, if they had baton charged much more extensively than they did and if they had done so earlier, perhaps many would be complaining that they were collateral innocent victims who were just present to see what was happening and that gardaí assaulted them as part of a security sweep to deal with those causing trouble.

Let us remember that, as far as I know, there has not been one single story or complaint to the effect that gardaí over-reacted, assaulted a single individual or went for one journalist or bystander. They acted with remarkable restraint, discipline and professionalism. Let us stand up and say this is good rather than bad.

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