Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The high esteem in which An Garda Síochána is held is a vital pillar of Irish society and our democracy. It is imperative that the status and position of the Garda Síochána in our society is upheld at all times. One of the central ways in a modern democratic system in which we achieve this is through an independent body having oversight of our police force. In this context, the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission has a central role and public confidence in this body is of equal importance. In the public conscience, GSOC is a much newer body and many people are not fully aware of its significance or importance. Over time, this will change as GSOC carries out more work and investigations. It will raise public awareness and people will become aware of its critical importance.

As in other jurisdictions, there will always be tensions between the police body - the Garda Síochána in our case - and the body that has oversight of it. That is both inevitable and, perhaps, essential. However the tension must never be to such an extent that it hinders the work of either body. A proper working relationship between the Garda Síochána and GSOC is necessary for the benefit of both bodies. In an Irish context, the difficulties of having oversight of the Garda Síochána is complicated by the reality that An Garda Síochána is not only our police force, it is also our intelligence agency and it provides our State security. As Deputy Anne Ferris said, the Garda Síochána does tremendous work on behalf of us in every community.

Arising from the current controversy, it is important that the wider issue of legislative review around GSOC be conducted so that we can make improvements in how it and the Garda Síochána work together. In this regard, the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, announced such a review two weeks before the current controversy arose. This is a Minister who recognises the realities and difficulties of our legislative structures and is committed to reforming them. He is committed to supporting GSOC, which is why he made sure it had access to the Garda PULSE system for its investigation into the fixed ticket charge controversy.

As well as the complicated nature of the current controversy, political opportunism and obfuscation by some Members opposite has added to the confusion that exists around it. The appointment of an independent retired High Court Judge to look into this issue is welcome. It has been made clear that the terms of reference will be decided in consultation with the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and the Minister for Justice and Equality on the advice of the Attorney General and in conjunction with the wider Cabinet. The independent investigation will eliminate political grandstanding and restore political confidence in both An Garda Síochána and GSOC.

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