Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)

All Members will join the Taoiseach in extending their sincere sympathy to Mr. and Mrs. O'Toole and the family on what was an appalling tragedy. I cast no reflection on anyone involved in the investigation but in cases of this nature provision should be made for an independent investigation to be carried out by competent persons outside the Garda Síochána.

The Taoiseach did not comment on one of the central points I made, namely, the tendency for sources within the Garda to be in regular contact with certain journalists and put a spin on stories from their point of view, which can often reflect on the character of citizens who may have been involved in particular incidents. There were examples of this recently which gave rise to the danger of people rushing to judgment and impugning the good name of innocent individuals before investigations were completed and judgments arrived at. Gross exaggerations also appeared in the media regarding the nature of incidents that occurred and these later proved to be without basis. The Garda should not be involved in such leaks and the Taoiseach should state this.

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