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

The Minister should reflect on the events of the past 18 months, particularly in terms of the relationship between the Government and senior members of An Garda Síochána dealing with legitimate complaints. I reiterate that vast majority of serving members of An Garda Síochána have done no wrong. However, they are hurt and affected by the issues under discussion. When gardaí are on duty and performing difficult tasks - for example, giving out speeding tickets - they are likely to get a bit of aggro in respect of this issue. That is not fair because they were not at fault. It is important that the Minister acknowledge at some point that this was an issue for senior management and that changes need to happen in order to make the latter accountable to GSOC. There must be a better response to any criticisms that are levelled or any allegations of malpractice that are made in the future.

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