Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Deputy Buttimer's concluding remark, that is, that we should not be scoring political points. It is disappointing that the Deputy started his speech with political point-scoring. Nevertheless, I agree with much of what he said. He and I work in Cork city with some fine members of the Garda, including in the Gurranabraher district. I will not name the superintendent in that district but Deputy Buttimer will know to whom I am referring. The district is one where there used to be very high crime levels and many challenges. Community policing was dreamed of and we put in place a man who brought back policing in the area to grassroots level. He did so because he came from and grew up in that community, as Deputy Buttimer will know. He has the honour of serving as a senior member of An Garda Síochána in that community and he almost has ownership of a certain model of policing in that vicinity, and that pays dividends. He has a lot of respect from members of the community.

There is no doubt that, in the past ten years, the Garda Síochána has changed its type of policing in the State, but that is not to say it is perfect. There are still individuals in the force who are opposed to change and whom I believe do not uphold the best within it. This is not unique to An Garda Síochána; one will find it in every police force in every state in the world. It is just a reflection of society. When an organisation such as the Garda Síochána reflects society, it is only natural to presume there always will be one or two bad apples.

What the Guerin report actually highlighted was that it was not just a case of the failings of one or two individuals at a low level in the Garda but of failure at senior level to investigate complaints of malpractice and corruption submitted to the Department by a serving member of the force. Not only did the gardaí fail to investigate the matter, they set out to ruin the reputation of an honourable member of the force, a fellow colleague. In doing so, they brought shame on the organisation of which they were members.

The Minister has found herself in a position in which she must now pick up the pieces and try to restore public confidence in the Garda Síochána. That will not be an easy task. However, it is essential that there be success because no country can exist if it has a police force that does not have the full confidence of the citizens it is meant to protect.

The Minister has initiated a number of proposals within her Department and a review is ongoing, although I am not sure when it is due to conclude, as I am sure she has been consumed by the elections for the past few weeks. She has given a commitment to establish an independent policing authority and that the new Commissioner will be appointed independently, all of which are vital small steps on the way to restoring public confidence. The only issue I have with what has been announced so far concerns the Garda Inspectorate being asked to examine the investigation procedures in cases involving serious crime. I have concerns about whether it is right for the Garda Inspectorate to be involved.

The Guerin report is approximately 326 pages long. While I have read all of it, it is a document which needs to be read three or four times to absorb it. As the Minister said, it has some deeply disturbing elements. There is a huge challenge in that regard, but I believe it is one we can overcome collectively. There are many good members of the force who are serving communities every single day, just as there are many good members of society who aspire to be members of An Garda Síochána. My own son has undertaken the process to try to become one of the new recruits. When he first approached me and said he was thinking about it, I said: “If that is what you want to do, then that is what you want to do.” He sees it as a vocation and I am sure there are many members of the force who see it not just as a job but as a vocation. They have a sincere interest in improving the communities they represent and helping others, including the most vulnerable in society. They see it is a vocation to protect those who are unable to protect themselves and not only to protect them but also to give them a voice.

I believe the recent controversies, in particular about the penalty points system, GSOC and the failings of the Department of Justice and Equality and senior members of An Garda Síochána to investigate the allegations of corruption and malpractice made by whistleblowers, have done nothing but damage public confidence in An Garda Síochána. We wish the Minister well in her attempts to address that issue. However, as Deputy Jerry Buttimer pointed out, we have been here before. We had recommendations on the back of the Morris tribunal that were not implemented and nobody has given a formal explanation as to why they fell by the wayside. Any commission of investigation will need to investigate all aspects which led to where we find ourselves today. I hope that at the end of the commission of investigation we will have the answers. However, it is one thing having the answers; we also need the political commitment and political will to make the changes that are necessary. Sometimes, that means standing up to those elements within the Department and An Garda Síochána who will resist the type of reform needed and telling them that this type of policing is no longer acceptable. In 2014 we need a police force which is representative of the community, works on its behalf and is willing to work with it to tackle crime and improve the social and community environment. It is not just about the policing of communities.

As I said, we wish the Minister well. We look forward to whatever necessary legislation will be brought forward. We hope we can move into 2015 in a much better place and with much more public confidence in An Garda Síochána.

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