Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)

I am delighted to have an opportunity to speak on the important motion before the House on accountability, discipline and training in the Garda Síochána. I have family and friends in the Garda Síochána and they are proud to be members of that force. Members of the Garda Síochána should feel privileged to have such a unique job in guarding the State. Since the foundation of the State men and women throughout the country have guarded our citizens and protected our State in very difficult times. In the 1960s and 1970s, particularly in the Border areas, times were very difficult for the Garda Síochána. For many years people were afraid to say anything about the truth of what was happening. Along with Deputy English I commend my constituency colleague, Deputy Howlin, and my party colleague, Senator Jim Higgins, because if it were not for them we might not be having this debate in that they raised the problems in Donegal. That might still be happening were it not for the courage of those two people. I commend them for the way they went about their business and never gave up in trying to bring this matter to a head. The contribution the Garda Síochána has made to the State has been immense, as men and women performing their duties as public servants.

I recall when I was in primary school the Garda Síochána would visit regularly. I am trying to put in context the trust in which the Garda Síochána was held within the community. I call on the Minister to ensure that gardaí right across the country visit primary and secondary schools on a regular basis. By visiting schools they build up trust within the community and it is very important that this is done with pupils from a very early age, from young children to teenagers. If the initiative is taken with young children I have no doubt that a crucial degree of trust can be built up over time. I ask the Minister to look into that because I do not believe it is happening at present. I speak to many school principals who tell me they never see a garda visiting the school these days. It is vitally important this is investigated.

Unfortunately, however, various issues have arisen in recent years to tarnish the picture. The Donegal case in particular has changed public perception of the Garda Síochána and damaged morale within the force. Virtually every Garda station has been affected, as I can testify from my constituency, in Enniscorthy, New Ross, Wexford and Gorey. There are, however, genuine hard-working gardaí on the beat doing an extremely good job on a day-to-day basis and they are not thanked for the extra effort they put in. Many work well into off-duty hours to protect our citizens, whether finding out information or whatever.

I am disappointed, however, at the fall-off in the involvement of local gardaí at community level. In the past the local garda might have been chairman of the GAA club and involved in local parish organisations and community initiatives. He knew every man, woman and child in the parish, but that does not happen any more. One cannot blame the Minister, the Commissioner, sergeants etc. Lifestyles have changed and people want to get away from the job. They put in their duty hours and just want to get away from work because the job has become so demanding. A garda might be policing in Enniscorthy and living in Gorey or New Ross, or even Arklow, Waterford, Kilkenny or Carlow. That is very disappointing. I would like to see a return to the practice whereby when a garda is posted to a particular station, he or she lives in the immediate area. There is no doubt that a garda will find out far more about what is going on in a community when he or she is off duty rather than when he or she is working.

When one looks at what has been highlighted in the Morris, Barr, Birmingham and Nally reports, it is incumbent on the Minister, the Commissioner politicians and gardaí at all levels to preserve the confidence and respect of the Garda Síochána. That confidence and respect has been removed from them because of bad eggs in the basket, so to speak, the bad gardaí. It is amazing what a small number can do to destroy the rest of the force.

It is similar to what has happened in the Oireachtas, with Deputies and Senators taking bribes and moneys for planning permission or whatever over many years. The public perception, as a result, is that we are all the same. The same condition has crept into the Garda Síochána, namely, that they are all the same, but they are not. To go back to my original point, if people are educated from a very young age about the Garda Síochána, they will learn that the gardaí are not all the same and that there are very genuine members of the force. We must demonstrate our appreciation of the Garda Síochána, however. The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Members of the Oireachtas and the Government must ensure the force has the equipment it needs, is appreciated and has the resources to carry out its role in a professional manner. This is something the Government has neglected to do in recent years and a major catch-up initiative is required to ensure the Garda Síochána has proper resources.

A member of the force told me a few months ago that there was a new communications system in his station. He was delighted because, as the Minister knows, the old CB system has broken down. Everybody can break into it. If I am talking about a drug pusher in Enniscorthy, someone in Rathnew or wherever, who may, himself or herself, be the pusher, is able to find out. The garda in question took out a mobile phone and to use it he had to have credit in it. I was amazed. I see that the Minister is smiling, perhaps he is amazed as well. I could not understand that he had to have credit in the phone to use it.

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