Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The GSOC is to attend the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Public Service, Oversight and Petitions tomorrow in public session. Deputy Martin is asking me today to have a public inquiry into this. Does he not think it appropriate that the GSOC should come before the committee and answer questions and provide clarification for Members of the House? Perhaps he does not want that. He is asking me to set up a public inquiry today when an Oireachtas committee is legitimately entitled to inquire into this and the GSOC has responded publicly to the effect that it will attend the committee.

Clearly, the statement yesterday from the Garda Commissioner requires an answer regarding four issues. I expect that when the GSOC attends in formal session at a public committee, this clarity will be provided. It is necessary for the official commission with responsibility for oversight of An Garda Síochána to have integrity and the confidence of the people. The GSOC indicated yesterday that it found no evidence of electronic bugging and that the Garda was not involved in misconduct in any way. I expect that the least Deputy Martin could do is to allow that the GSOC, a commission that is independent of the Government in the way it carries out its business of oversight, should be allowed to come before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Public Service, Oversight and Petitions and make its position very clear. We want to see confidence in the integrity of the GSOC in respect of how it carries out its business and confidence in the integrity of the running of An Garda Síochána. These are two very important pillars of our democratic system.

In respect of the other matter raised by Deputy Martin, if he wants an answer from the Minister for Justice and Equality, he should raise it in a Topical Issue debate or put down a priority question.

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