Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

——and neither the Minister nor any investigators of these matters would be allowed access to them. This is a fairer representation of Mr. Justice Morris's comments. My purpose in making these points is to redress the balance a little in respect of the public debate that has already taken place regarding Mr. Justice Morris's findings.

As the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, I am also anxious to acknowledge publicly and in this House the grave wrong done to two of the State's finest policemen, recently retired Assistant Commissioner Tony Hickey and Assistant Commissioner Kevin Carty, who have served An Garda Síochána with honour and distinction through the years and whose careers suffered as a result of baseless allegations.

Turning to the bigger picture, what we can all agree on is that the tribunal, thanks to the fine work of Mr. Justice Morris and his team, uncovered a pattern of Garda misbehaviour that was unprecedented, disturbing, at times shocking and called for a strong and effective response. The Garda Commissioner has already stated that the events outlined in the various reports of the tribunal represent a dark period in the history of a proud organisation and do a grave disservice to the tradition of An Garda Síochána.

The second Morris report, which preceded the Garda Síochána Act 2005, characterised the Garda investigation into the death of Richard Barron in Raphoe on 14 October 1996 as "prejudiced, tendentious and utterly negligent in the highest degree". This gross incompetence gave rise to a series of subsequent events fully analysed in the sixth and seventh reports. Those reports revealed a continuous pattern of misbehaviour against the McBrearty family and their relatives and associates.

An Garda Síochána exists to serve the State and its people. This sense of public service permeates the force and has made it one of the best in the world. However, the people have been let down by the events outlined in the tribunal reports, as have the 14,000 men and women who put their lives on the line for each of us every day. What occurred in County Donegal will not be allowed to recur. The people deserve better. I know at first hand the determination of the force at all ranks to ensure it does not recur.

In the time available, I do not intend to reprise all of the findings of the sixth, seventh and eighth reports, but I will set out the main elements of those findings and detail the strong action taken by the Government as events unfolded.

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