Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputy McDonald's point about balanced judgment is fair, and I expect that the decision taken by the Government here is a decision in the interests of finding fact and truth from all the documents, comments and statements, some of which have been quite confusing. It is important that that clarity brings the issue of the integrity of both GSOC and the Garda Síochána right into play here. For that reason, the decision of the Government to have the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality reflect in public hearings on the efficiency, effectiveness and robustness of the law is important. There have been many claims made about that. There is also the decision already announced by the Minister for Justice and Equality to make changes to the Garda Síochána Act in so far as GSOC is concerned to make it more accountable, transparent and professional in the issue of the Act.

There are a number of processes here: the Oireachtas committee, the High Court judge, the Minister going before the committee tomorrow and the Private Members' motion that takes place here today and tomorrow. In all of these, the interest of the Government is to see that what has emerged out of all of these hearings leads to a conclusion in which the law can be made absolutely clear and transparent, in which there is integrity, belief and trust in both organisations, which have an important job to do, and to ensure that the committee in due course will respond to the Minister, for public discussion here, on recommendations in so far as the Act might be changed or amended.

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