Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

-----so the Oireachtas should keep its focus on what is involved here. Yesterday I made the point, and the Taoiseach agreed, that the Ian Bailey case is at the root of these problems. This arose from the investigation of the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier. Ian Bailey's solicitor wrote three times in 2012 to the Minister, Deputy Shatter, about the Garda Commissioner's refusal to provide information to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission. Incompetence aside, this refusal, repeated many times, is the real reason for the lack of cohesion in the Government's response to these scandals. Yesterday's report by the Secretary General of the Department of Justice and Equality confirms this. He said that departmental officials were so preoccupied with the possible ramifications of taped calls at Bandon Garda station that they might not have realised the gravity of more widespread taping of telephone calls over decades.

Yesterday I asked if the Minister would clarify his position in the debate on the Private Members' motion. Our justice spokesperson, Deputy Mac Lochlainn, put the same question directly to the Minister but he refused to do it. Is it not the case that alleged corrupt activities by gardaí in the investigation of the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier should have been the subject of a commission of investigation? Will the Government now initiate such a commission or will the Taoiseach give a commitment to make it part of the commission of investigation that is being established?

See this speech in context