Seán Kenny (Dublin North East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on what is an issue of substantial national importance, one which has been in the public domain continuously for several weeks. I was pleased to hear the Government announcement yesterday that a senior counsel will make an assessment of all the issues that have been the subject of so much controversy. I believe this is the right thing to do and I am certain that if the assessment recommends a commission of inquiry, then there will be one. A commission of inquiry might be the best outcome in the long term. All of the issues need to be resolved in a way that ensures public confidence in An Garda Síochána is upheld and maintained and such that members of An Garda Síochána are able to do their job and report wrongdoing if they believe there has been wrongdoing.

I have referred to the Mahon tribunal in the House previously and I wish to do so again because I believe the report makes for relevant and powerful reading when it comes to the matter we are discussing. One of the passages in the report states:

Corruption is frequently an offence committed by wealthy and/or powerful members of the Community and those reporting it may well fear the consequences of doing so for their own careers and employment prospects. Whistleblower protection may help alleviate those fears, thus facilitating the reporting of corruption offences.

In this context I wish to take this opportunity to restate my support for the protected disclosure legislation which I had the opportunity of speaking on in the House recently. That legislation will help to ensure that serving gardaí will be able to make complaints directly to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission. This will be a positive step that will see a more direct and responsive approach if an issue of wrongdoing should arise. As a member of the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality I look forward to the work of the committee in reviewing the 2005 Garda Síochána Act. I believe that review should consider recommending that the powers of GSOC should be extended to include the post of the Garda Commissioner.

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