Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

I favour a consensus approach. That is what I am doing. My door is open. I am bringing the regulations to the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights. It is open to the members of that committee to bring in the representative associations and to discuss any principled difficulties they may have with them. I met with the AGSI and told it that until I had a proposal from the Commissioner I could not discuss with it rumours that I had read in newspapers.

I ask every Member of this House to look at today's Irish Examiner where there is an excellent article setting out some of the realities of a reserve force and how it operates in a neighbouring jurisdiction. It refers to the attitude of full-time police officers in that jurisdiction and their federation to such a reserve force. Anybody who reads the article by Paul Kelly in today's Irish Examiner will come away with a strong conviction that it is a good idea.

In addition to the process of consultation we had in the course of the debate where I indicated the regulatory framework was business for another day, members of the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights went to the United Kingdom and saw at first hand the special constabulary that operates there and came back with an entirely favourable view of all of that. I could not discuss proposals I had not received. As soon as I did receive them I invited the associations to discuss them with me. They have used intemperate language describing the Commissioner's proposal as "crazy and dangerous". I reject that language out of hand. Deputy Costello suggested the Garda had used the term yellow pack but in fairness to the associations the only time this term has been used is in this House, not by the Garda. I do not propose to get into a confrontational mode.

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