Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)

I accept and fully support the programme. However, it is not only me who is expressing concerns about it. I direct the Minister to the remarks of the former Director of Public Prosecutions who said in 2009 it was of limited use in tackling organised crime. Has the Minister reviewed those remarks and has he internally within the Garda Síochána made changes to the programme? The Minister must admit that what happened this week, in terms of the publicity surrounding this family having to leave the country, has been damaging to the programme. There are people who want to get involved in the programme and to support its objectives but who do not wish to leave the country.

In raising this issue, I hoped to hear from the Minister what is in place to repair that damage and if there is anything we can do to make the programme more effective to ensure what happened does not have to happen again. I accept that some people will have to leave the country but the Minister must admit that the circumstances of this particular case, in terms of the bravery of the Collins family having to take the decision to leave this country, is damaging to the programme.

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