Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

We are dealing here with amendments Nos. 57 to 59, inclusive which, as I started to say last night, concern introducing CCTV into Garda stations which is not confined to making video records of interviews in interview suites, as the Minister calls them. That is fine and I welcome the news the Minister has given us over the past year that all Garda stations with interview suites will soon be kitted out with video recording machinery. I think he said this has been achieved in 90% of stations.

These amendments go beyond that initiative because of the allegations made against the Garda over the years of brutality, assaults, misconduct and misbehaviour. Many of these allegations have afterwards been discovered to be correct and some not. In the interests of protecting both those who are held in Garda stations and the members of the Garda Síochána from mischievous claims the new technologies available at a relatively low cost make it possible to have CCTV in Garda stations covering the access, hallways, cells and yards where many of the attacks on suspects have occurred. That should be done as quickly as possible. If it is possible to fit out the fleet of Bus Átha Cliath with CCTV I do not see why something similar cannot be done in Garda stations.

That is the extent of my three amendments. I hope the Minister will agree that they are reasonable and will be cost-effective, considering that this will cut out any possibility of somebody bringing a false action against members of an Garda Síochána. It might also discourage those elements within the Garda Síochána who have been involved in this type of activity as documented in the Morris tribunal. This has emerged in other cases in recent years, for example, in brutal interrogations or the use of excessive force on suspects in Garda custody.

It happened to Dean Lyons, and it has never been clarified why he would admit to something with which he had no involvement. How did he manage to sign a statement he had not written? There are many other questions over that case, and other cases in the public domain, regarding what happened to people who died either in Garda custody or shortly thereafter. The public needs to be sure that nothing untoward would happen in Garda stations. That would add to the efforts of the Minister and an Garda Síochána to regain the confidence of the public.

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