John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Do not give me that rubbish. She made a direct appeal to the Taoiseach and to the Minister, who should at least have acknowledged it. They should at least have asked her to come in and put her case to them to see if she had a case, and then let her proceed with it. As the Minister sponsoring this particular Bill, I am asking Deputy Howlin to convey to the Taoiseach and the Minister, Deputy Shatter, how this woman was let down. Deputy Howlin should insist that they meet with her and that they decide on a course of action that will bring justice in this case. That is the least he should do.

Last week, I re-echoed an appeal in the case of Una Halliday and FÁS. She is another whistleblower, but this week they are trying to take her in for a further interview while she is out on sick leave. Does the Minister, Deputy Howlin, condone that? Would he expect a State employer not to protect the rights of that woman? I ask SOLAS, FÁS or whoever is responsible there now to stop the persecution of this woman. She, like many others who blew the whistle, now goes to her office and is given no work, no telephone and no computer. They are humiliated every day they go in and are shouted at in front of other employees. Their rights are ignored. When I raised the matter here, as I did last week at the Committee of Public Accounts, nobody in this place listens or responds. That is no way for a State to behave. It just stubbornly sticks its head in the sand and ignores people's rights. That does not make me feel proud of this democratic system. I appeal to the Minister, Deputy Howlin, again in that case. He has been described as a Labour Party Minister who is going through the motions with regard to this Bill, and I respect him for it. As regards that employee, however, he should make a direct intervention and ask for some respect. The woman is out sick and her family are deeply concerned. The matter has been raised publicly, both in the Dáil and elsewhere. I am raising it again here today. I ask whoever is listening and whoever is responsible to leave this woman alone. They should deal with the matter in a far more constructive manner, and not in the way they are pursuing it at present. Above all, they should respond to this Parliament and a request that has been made by a Member of the Oireachtas to stop and treat that person like a human being.

I want to inform the House of how I believe the State should respond, but is not responding, in another case.

I will give the example of the special investigations unit in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Following a statement made by Judge Reynolds, I appealed to the Taoiseach that the special investigation unit in the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine be investigated for the manner in which it conducts its business and forces down citizens of the State into a tormented state because of the way they are treated. I cited the case of a young special needs child in County Carlow who was terrorised in his home by those who visited. He still speaks about it to his father to this day. When the court case was heard, which concerned an issue with his father, a settlement was made. The special investigations unit was not covered in glory. In a different case, Judge Reynolds said the unit should be investigated by the Minister.

I raised a case in Kilkenny with the Taoiseach on the Order of Business. They bullied a pregnant woman who later gave up her job and who has not been replaced because of the antics of the people in the unit. There is also the case of John Fleury, where two detectives in the region have sufficient information to be of interest to the State. No one has asked them for the information and no one has asked them what type of information they have about the special investigations unit to cause someone to pursue them and correct them on the action they take in various instances. I know the unit has a job to do but when it steps beyond the line, the State must stop them and protect the citizens of the country, which it is not doing. There are umpteen cases where the special investigations unit has gone beyond its remit and it should be reined in. Cases have been reported in the national media in the Irish Farmers' Journaland other places and there is sufficient information to cause the State to at least ask the question and to determine what it did to the young child and what information the detectives have about other cases. Why does no one in this House respond? We are debating the Bill in Parliament. Do they not regard us as having any positive input? Is the permanent government continuing on its merry way and disregarding the political system and the complaints made to it? That is what seems to be going on. Issues outlined in the first case lead me to believe there is a complete cover-up, showing complete disregard for that woman's rights. For that reason, I appeal for a public inquiry.

There are many other cases, some of which concern the OPW and others the Department of Health. With regard to the HSE and the Department of Health, front-line nurses have come to me and have complained about the system, how they are treated and how they are promoted or not promoted. When I look at them, I see legitimate cause for concern. They make these complaints to me but they are afraid to tell their superiors and afraid to make complaints. Some of them live in fear because an example has been set where others have lost their jobs. Is that how the State should perform? If there is a complaint to the Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, or the Taoiseach, the least any of the complainants deservec is a formal response and a listening ear. Maybe, thereafter, the political system might decide that we cannot do anything for them or that we will change legislation so that their voices can be heard. This is partly what the Minister is doing but I ask him to look back on the ones who have complained and see how their lives have been devastated and the state of health they are in now. They are broken people, appealing to the State and they probably have little or no respect for the State or the democratic process, having been in a position of having the greatest of respect for the State. The politicians and the democratic process have visited that upon them because we refused to respond.

Lastly, the Garda whistleblower has revealed many facts that have shocked people. Has he not been proved correct? He was poked at and made fun of but two weeks ago we discovered the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General was based on interviews with the same man. Nevertheless, the political system would not look after him or listen to him. They failed to protect their people. That is what this Government and previous Government did. I ask the Minister to stop the process as it currently operates and to, at least, deal with some of the cases to which I refer and to ask someone to listen to them. In the case of Lucia O'Farrell, I plead with the Minister to initiate a public inquiry into the death of her son and how justice was administered, or not, in her case. I also asked the Minister to deal with the aspect of the corrupt little country she believes we are.

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