Michael Conaghan (Dublin South Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

There is much troubling talk currently about policing. It is evolving in the public mind and is gaining momentum. It refers to the fact that some gardaí are involved in wrongdoing where proper procedures are being ignored, where established processes are delayed - this is what is being alleged - where established practices are being set aside and also that a small number of officers are complicit in crime and wrongdoing. This talk is gaining currency, regardless of whether it has a basis in fact. Another category of talk is that officers wishing to follow the correct course are being prevented or discouraged from doing so. Then there is the very disturbing matter of the whistleblowers being threatened, their promotion postponed, their career advance stymied, and so on. All this concern and talk is surging to the surface now. If it spreads and takes a firmer grip on the public mind, it can become deeply damaging. It can erode confidence and chip way at the credibility of the Garda force. It could even create a crisis of credibility in State security and personal safety. Such a situation, were it to evolve, would take a generation to heal.

It has fallen to this Government, as in so many other spheres of public and political life just now, to step in and tackle the big issues, to deal with the current policing concerns, to bring in reforms and to restore confidence. In this regard, the Government has acted decisively and promptly.

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