Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I commend Deputy Wallace and his staff for their work in preparing the legislation we are debating tonight – The Garda Síochána (Amendment) Bill. It is a worthwhile and timely legislation.

I have been listening to the debate over the past two nights and it has been interesting how many Deputies have prefaced their remarks by stating how many good gardaí there are and how many work hard and do their best in a very difficult situation. There is no doubt that is true and that a significant number of gardaí are doing their work. However, it signals the power of the Garda in society when we feel it necessary to preface our remarks by saying something of that nature. That goes to the heart of what this legislation is about and the purpose that it aims to achieve.

I heard some speakers refer to the amount of unsubstantiated claims against gardaí and how unfair it is that this is the situation. There is no doubt that is the case. However, it is a sign of the difficulty involved in ensuring complaints are investigated. If complaints are unsubstantiated then that must be clearly stated and where necessary answers should be sought. That again shows the issues of accountability that arise with the Garda Síochána as an organisation and the culture that can develop within it. As I look across the Chamber I am reminded that if we give people unrestricted and unaccountable power then we get abuses of it. It is not right that we would allow that to continue in a democratic society.

While there might be unsubstantiated claims against gardaí, many families around the country are very worried by what has happened to them. Serious wrongs were perpetrated against them. They have lost loved ones and they have not been able to get answers. Officialdom in society closes down when people begin to ask questions. Families are left on their own for long periods trying to get answers. That is not right. It is not good for the culture of the Garda and it is not good for society.

I wish to mention the family of Shane Tuohy, a case in which I had some involvement. They are in the Visitors Gallery tonight. They lost their son Shane in very tragic circumstances in County Offaly. I looked at the case and the official account does not reflect how Shane died. That is a wrong that continues to be perpetrated against the family. We need a mechanism to allow for such wrongs to be investigated and for answers to be provided to families around the country.

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