Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I compliment Deputy Niall Collins on tabling this motion. I also thank the Fianna Fáil Party for allowing me some of its speaking time. I support and will vote for the motion not because of the incident at a Garda checkpoint where it is claimed that the Minister's behaviour left much to be desired or because of the abuse of his powerful and privileged position through the leaking of information about Deputy Wallace. All of those issues are a sideshow at a time when 450,000 people are seeking work and hundreds of thousands must emigrate. There are far more important issues for the Dáil to debate.

I support the motion because of the Minister's disgraceful decision to close 140 Garda stations and because of his unhealthy relationship with the Garda Commissioner, a man who strongly objected to one of his predecessors at a lower rank getting an extension of time in his position. The current Commissioner even went to court and gave evidence on how wrong it would be for the force if the then Assistant Commissioner were given an extension. The then Assistant Commissioner, Mr. Martin Donnellan, lost his case against the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform in the High Court, during which the then Deputy Commissioner, Mr. Callinan, gave evidence that extending the retirement age to 65 years would cause an exodus of younger officers and a blockage in promotions. I will quote what the current Minister stated when he made his decision to extend the Commissioner's term of office: "it is desirable that there should be continuity in garda leadership, and I am delighted that Martin has agreed to this extension". The Minister also stated: "His leadership over this period, during which there will be further challenges to be met, will be invaluable."

I respect the Commissioner and will not comment on him, but this was a sorry affair. In making judgment, Mr. Justice William McKechnie referred to the then Deputy Commissioner's evidence against any proposal to extend the enforce age of retirement.

Is it any wonder that no report could be found on the Minister? There is no problem with everyone knowing everything about Deputy Wallace. It is obvious that he has nothing to do with granting extensions of time for Commissioners in their powerful positions. Did anyone think to ask the gardaí on duty on the night of the Minister's incident about his comments and behaviour? To echo Deputy Mattie McGrath, was the Minister's behaviour polite and cordial? One telephone call would have cleared up this affair, but no one chose to make it.

The Minister and this inept Government made the stupid decision to close Garda stations. He misrepresented the facts by claiming that he was closing them to provide better policing, given the amount of time wasted by having gardaí sitting in stations, yet he then contradicted himself by claiming that gardaí would spend the same amount of time in community centres and Garda vans, holding clinic-like meetings with people in their communities. I have proven that it costs more each day to keep these stations closed than it would to keep them open.

The Minister has no respect for gardaí and holds the people who represent them in contempt. The only member of An Garda Síochána to whom he listens is the Commissioner. The entire country knows that the Minister is firmly in bed with him. Thanks to the Minister's behaviour, the general public has lost confidence in him. Truth be told, it never had any confidence in him, only disappointment.

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