Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

-----and he will be very happy to do so.

I reject absolutely the suggestion made by Deputy Collins that there is some kind of co-ordinated strategy by the Government to undermine - I am not sure of the phrase he used - the GSOC. The Government entirely respects and values the independence of the commission. The GSOC was set up, after many years in which a body of this nature had been called for, to independently examine any questions of misconduct on the part of some gardaí. It does a very good job, it acts independently and every Member of the House, from whatever side, should and does respect its independence. This independence needs to be underpinned and affirmed in the current public controversy.

In respect of the Deputy's specific questions, he asked if the GSOC should have reported the issue to the Minister for Justice and Equality. The commission accepts that it should have done so. The Deputy also asked if I believed the independence of the GSOC had been damaged. I do not believe it has been damaged. If anything, what we have seen in the past couple of days is the commission asserting its independence, which is a good thing. I support the GSOC in asserting its independence.

I do not accept that the Minister withheld information from the Dáil. The information he gave the House was based on the briefing he was given by the GSOC.

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