Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister is well aware of the comments on The Gathering by the former culture ambassador, Mr. Gabriel Byrne. His main comment was that The Gathering has been presented in such a way that it sounds as if we are just trying to make money from the diaspora. Given that so many people have left the country under terrible conditions in recent times, they may find the manner in which The Gathering has been presented as hard to take.

I submitted a question on the termination by the Garda of more than 100,000 fixed-charge penalties from 2008 to 2011, but it was rejected by the Department. The money lost to the State would have paid for 500 patrol cars. Gardaí have approached me, as a Member of the Oireachtas, to express their great concern that honest gardaí are being undermined by this activity. It is corruption and should be investigated. This Parliament should be discussing the matter. My questions for the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Department of Justice and Equality have been blocked. The Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, has had my question on his desk since January.

When I put it to Department of Justice and Equality officials, they said they had not investigated yet. This is a road safety issue and the Minister has had the report as well, although probably not for as long.

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