Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

In addition, the DPP should reconsider his decision not to make any public information available in respect of why a nolle prosequi was entered in such a serious case.

The business of the request to limit the scope of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission must be taken with great care. It is seldom one has an allegation as serious as the importation of €1.7 million worth of drugs. Most of the allegations that come to our clinics in respect of misbehaviour among individual members of the Garda Síochána concern far more minor matters. It is in the best interests of the Garda Síochána and of retaining the confidence of the public that such relatively minor but important allegations are capable of being investigated by the Commission. I would be concerned if we were to narrow the scope of that. I would like to hear the Minister's view on this when he responds.

I was quite impressed by my meetings with the Commission, and with the calibre of the people working for it. I would have thought it well staffed. The Government cannot be criticised for not making the resources available — it has done that, in my view. If Government has concerns about trivial, mischievous or vexatious cases, it should be possible to strip those out without taking away the obligation to investigate more routine allegations that are, nonetheless, serious matters from the point of view of the public having confidence in the Garda Síochána. That is what this is about.

Deputy Flanagan referred in passing to the Galway taxi case. That is the kind of case that does such damage to the standing of the Garda Síochána, more than all the major eruptions we have seen in recent years. This case deserves not to be shut down on a technicality but merits full examination and recommendations to be made by the Ombudsman Commission. Whatever the technicality is, I hope the Minister will cause it to be put right because this type of case must be dispiriting for good policemen and policewomen. For Gardaí coming out of Templemore fully committed to doing their best to discharge a very difficult job in the public interest, that type of incident does serious damage. I hope the Minister will take up that point in his reply to the debate and tell us that he will protect the case, whatever the nature of the technical deficiency that shut it down.

I wish Mr. Dermot Gallagher every success in his appointment as chairman. He takes on a very important role. I wish the Commission, an important reform, every success. I wish to see more reports beginning to flow from the Commission as soon as possible.

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