Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

While Commissioner Callinan has undoubtedly done the State some service, his decision to resign was the right one because his position had become untenable. I had prepared a series of Leaders' Questions for the Taoiseach which included a call for him to set up a Garda authority, similar to that in the North, a position which Sinn Féin has long advocated. I had argued, as we have done consistently, that the appointment of a new Garda Commissioner would be a good place to start, with a new dispensation in policing similar to the one in the North, and I was going to ask the Taoiseach to commit today to the establishment of the type of policing dispensation which would suit this century and suit this State. I was also going to ask the Taoiseach to seek the resignation of the Minister for Justice and Equality, but before I could do so, the Taoiseach sent for me and an Teachta Martin and told us of another developing scandal. I reflected between then and now that I needed to change my questions. We will wait and see what the Taoiseach makes of a new policing dispensation and we certainly try to keep him accountable on that, but really the Minister should go. At every turn he protected the Commissioner, he undermined GSOC and he discredited the Garda whistleblowers. Arguably, none of this would have come to light of those two brave officers had not highlighted what they saw as law breaking. Fine Gael generally and the Labour Party supported the Minister, but it was only when the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, spoke out that the Labour Ministers came out. It was almost a classic case of trying to find out where public opinion was. Will the Taoiseach ask the Minister, Deputy Shatter, to go?

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