Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On a personal level, I have a great deal of time for Deputy Mac Lochlainn and it is difficult to criticise what he states. Occasionally, however, I must listen on this side of the House. Less than half an hour ago, Members from across the House, including Deputy Mac Lochlainn, criticised me, as they are entitled to do, as being in some way responsible for what is reported to be the low morale in the Garda force. The Members who want to talk about low morale in the force on one issue are then persistently making allegations against members of the force, that they do not properly conduct themselves, they are basically a law unto themselves and they are making decisions that they should not be making.

The penalty point issue is a case in point. I will not prejudge it. I do not know whether issues have been dealt with properly or improperly and unlike the Members who raised the issue in the first place, I will not prejudge the outcome. If Members who want to make an issue about low morale in the Garda force are talking about the difficulties in other areas, they might focus on whether they are contributing to a perception by some members of the force that it does not get the support to which it is entitled by constantly regurgitating this issue.

I take this issue seriously. I have taken it seriously since the allegations were first made. Within a short time of the allegations being brought to my notice, after I had an opportunity to give consideration to them I brought them to the attention of the Garda Commissioner and asked that the matter be fully investigated. That is now happening. I will not revisit it on an allegation-by-allegation basis, nor will I use it as a vehicle, either to name or not name Members of the House or to describe limited groups of persons in this House in a way that is designed to create a pejorative public perspective on them, which is what has been happening from the four Members opposite me. In fairness, Deputy Mac Lochlainn is more circumspect in what he is saying.

It is a serious issue and I await the outcome of the investigation. We will then address that outcome in a manner that is appropriate and we will get answers. As Minister, I want answers. However, I wonder whether the answers will be acceptable to everyone. I do not know what they will be but I suspect that if they do not fit in to the narrative of some they might not be happy and if they do, they will be celebratory. I do not know what the outcome will be. Either way, let us not use this as a mechanism to damage the reputation of members of An Garda Síochána in the eyes of the public.

I repeat I do not include Deputy Mac Lochlainn in this. I want to be clear. Let us not use this as a mechanism to, on a daily or weekly basis, get what is perceived to be a bit of beneficial personal publicity.

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