Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It has been a bad week for senior gardaí. This week the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission published a seven page summary into the public interest investigation into the Garda and expressed concern that the recommendations of the Morris tribunal on the handling of informers, and very serious issues arose at the time, have not been implemented by the Garda Síochána. Senior gardaí were challenged on this and on not co-operating fully. In only 17 of 62 information requests was the information received within 30 days.

When these issues were brought to the attention of senior gardaí and the Tánaiste's colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality, they chose to batten down the hatches rather than let in the light. Will the Tánaiste allow an independent examination of the allegations? Will he allow someone to speak independently to the two Garda whistleblowers, look through the documentation and examine the issue independently so we can reassure the public that the concerns of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, about which I spoke last week, and the concerns of the two Garda whistleblowers are dealt with so the overwhelming majority of gardaí, who give so much for us every day and who are struggling with huge wage cuts and reductions in resources, can go out with their heads held high and not be let down by the failure of their senior colleagues to open the windows and let in the light?

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