Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The fixed charge processing and penalty points system have saved lives and are vital to our road safety. It is also vital, however, that citizens have full confidence in the systems. Will the Minister put on the record again not just the number of lives on our roads that have been saved but the massive reduction in traumatic road traffic injuries over the past several years because of the system?

What will happen next? It is quite possible that we will be back in the Chamber next week with Opposition Members demanding the Minister give more powers to the Garda to control crime. The difficulty for the Minister is striking the right balance between giving new powers to the Garda and dealing with its existing powers. Concerns have been raised about the weakness of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission and whether it has the resources and legislative provisions to do its job properly. I am glad the Minister said he would deal with this issue swiftly.

There is no organisation in this country that is without its rotten apples. The Garda is no different. While we will never eradicate this problem, we must ensure we minimise it as best we can to reduce the harm that a few bad apples can do to this fine organisation. In all of my professional dealings with the Garda, I find it an extremely dedicated organisation not just in fighting crime but in dealing with child protection issues and domestic violence. I find the empathy of individual gardaí incredible, along with their commitment to their job, when one considers that dealing with such issues can lead to burnout.

Earlier, Deputy McGuinness claimed that the culture of the force caused the events we have been discussing today and over the past several weeks, as well as the condemnation of the two whistleblowers. It is a culture that has existed for longer than the three years of this Government’s tenure. In fact, it existed during the 15-year tenure in government of Deputy McGuinness’s party, when it talked about looking after whistleblower legislation but did nothing. It actually butchered the freedom of information legislation when it was in power, contributing more to that culture of secrecy and of what others describe as putting loyalty above the truth. I am glad that tonight we are starting this journey of making a difference in how our Garda Síochána will be run.

It is important that a strong Garda supervisory authority is formed which balances the rights of citizens with the operation of the Garda, and that gardaí feel comfortable in doing their job. However, it is not a simple sort of authority that can be drawn up overnight. What we can do in the short term is to give the extra resources and additional legislative support that GSOC needs. The time people are waiting for cases to be dealt with at GSOC is lengthening. It is important, so as to maintain the trust and confidence in the Garda Síochána, that those who guard the guards have the resources they need to do their job properly. I would have expected there to be more support for and discussion as to what is actually needed for GSOC. There is a need to restore people’s confidence in what is happening in the Garda Síochána.

Many members of the Garda Síochána feel battered and bruised by what has happened over the past several months. They feel their organisation, of which they are very proud, has taken a hammering, along with the people’s confidence in it and how it is perceived. Confidence in and the perception of the force must be restored forthwith. Will the Minister swiftly bring forward urgent legislation to strengthen GSOC’s resources to allow it get on with its job? Will he also bring forward his proposals for a Garda authority so it can be debated in the House and begin the process of restoring the people’s confidence in the Garda Síochána?

There is a massive need for a cultural change within the Garda Síochána. To some degree it has been protected from cultural change because of the strains it faces in fighting crime. For many years, the force fought the significant threat to the stability of the State from the IRA at the height of its activities. Over the past several years, it has taken the brunt of the fight against organised crime and a drug culture which, to some degree, has taken hold in our society. Gardaí have been battling these with reduced resources. One can see why bad practices slip in, whereby some individuals with low morals in how they carry out their jobs get away with such practices. There is a need for us to take on that culture and make it change. The majority of gardaí are completely committed and dedicated to their jobs and would be very much behind what we are calling for tonight.

I always expect these political charges and the toing and froing along with the distortions of what actually happened. That is what we do in this Chamber. However, if people delve down into what is actually happening, they will see the need for change in how the Garda works, as well as how we strike the balance between letting gardaí do their job and examining how they do it.

The penalty points system requires a significant review. I am glad the Minister has taken on board some changes as to how it will work. The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is correct that it needs to be examined and changed.

I want to put on the record a matter concerning myself, in case it is brought up at a later point and it is claimed that I never referred to it.

This day last week, I myself was in court in regard to a fixed penalty points notice. It was a strange situation as I had no recollection of receiving a notice in regard to the fixed notice penalty points. I went into the court and explained that to the judge and he took on board what I said and the charge was struck out. Neither the fine nor the two penalty points that would have applied had I received the letter were imposed. I find it unusual that this sort of thing can happen and that people may not receive the correspondence. Something must be done in this regard so that if people must go to court, they will at least receive the two penalty points and the fine they should pay. This and other changes must come into play when it comes to doing a full review of the penalty points system.

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