Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is bizarre and the Minister for Justice and Equality should shed some light on the issue.

My party and I support the recommendations made in the Garda Inspectorate's report which seek to rectify a number of problems uncovered in the system that cost the State almost €8 million per annum. The report recommends that the summons service process be reviewed to establish why so many summons were not served and that a system be immediately introduced to ensure all penalty points are endorsed on driving licences. It recommends that the cancellation authority for penalty points be centralised and that petitions for cancellation only be considered when accompanied by factual third party evidence, with all offenders being informed of the cancellation policy. There is also a recommendation that the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport address the legal difficulties in imposing penalty points on the drivers of company and hired cars, as well as unregistered vehicles. The inspectorate recommends that consideration be given to enacting new legislation imposing heavy penalties on companies which refuse to name offending drivers and that in the case of off-duty gardaí, a superior officer be notified of any detection, as it could affect the assignment of duties. We fully support the recommendations made in the Garda Inspectorate's report.

The Minister took the opportunity to make a long-awaited apology to the whistleblowers. People will wonder why it took him six months to do this, after all the kicking and screaming. What has changed that he has now decided to issue this apology? It is hard to shake the suspicion that he knows the game is up. The public has cast its judgment and the Minister has decided to make a last-ditch effort to save face and his own skin. He has reinstated the good names of Sergeant Maurice McCabe and John Wilson, but it is too little, too late.

When he issued his apology he implied John O’Mahoney should have done more and made better efforts. In the Minister’s classic form he apologises but subcontracts some of the blame to the author of the previous report on which he seeks to rely. It has taken him six months to apologise. That is not good enough. The Taoiseach stood over the Minister when he discredited the good names of two citizens and allowed that cloud to hang over them for almost six months. Shame on the Minister for doing that.

The Minister did not address the actions of Mr. Connolly, the former confidential recipient, and what he said in the transcript circulating in the public domain. I asked the Minister this morning, and he has not taken the opportunity in making a statement here now, to address what Mr. Connolly said to Sergeant Maurice McCabe about how the Minister would act and what he would do. That is very serious for an officeholder in the Minister’s capacity.

The Minister did not address, or attribute any of the credit due to the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar, for describing the whistleblowers as "distinguished", which helped bring about his statement today. He was followed by other members of the Cabinet. The Minister has not acknowledged the very valuable input of the Road Safety Authority. That was a glaring omission in his statement.

I have asked the Minister several questions. He said the position of Garda Commissioner has been filled temporarily and he intends to carry out an open competition to fill the vacancy permanently. Everyone will welcome that. Hopefully the person who fills that position will not carry the baggage of any previous scandal. Will the interviews conducted by the recently departed Commissioner for the senior vacancies stand, or will an open interview process recommence for the vacancies for Deputy and Assistant Commissioners?

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