Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The rebuilding of morale cannot be postponed. A myriad of reports and expert inquiries have to be concluded but the morale issue is important because we do not want to be back here talking about the Guerin report in the same way we talk about the Morris report.

Chapter 20 of the Guerin report states: "But discipline is not merely the absence of insubordination. Discipline is application to the task at hand". The task at hand and how one carries out that task is very much dependent on the resources available to one at any given time. If a district finds itself lacking in Garda personnel, Garda accommodation, Garda cars and all the associated services, then one can bet one's bottom dollar that it will find itself lacking in the discipline to which the Guerin report refers in chapter 20. It is incredibly important this issue is dealt with and that the force, or elements of it, can be moved according to the needs and to the crime statistics. This situation of "one holds what one has" is not acceptable because some parts of the country will do very poorly out of it if that continues.

I think the Taoiseach accepts that poor management and distribution of personnel and resources have a significant impact on crime detection and morale across the force. If the expert review identifies resource needs will the Government meet those needs, because there certainly are gaps? If they cannot be filled by moving people around the country, it will have to be filled in another way. It seems clear that may well be something which is thrown up by some of the inquiries.

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