Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It should not go unnoticed that we are speaking on this Private Member's Bill on a day when the Minister for Justice and Equality moved a motion in the House on offences against the State. The irony cannot be lost on anybody. I was very disappointed to see Opposition Members putting that motion to a vote today given that unarmed members of An Garda Síochána have laid down their lives to protect citizens of this State. I think tonight of the men from County Limerick whose lives were ended by people whose sole motive was to subvert the institutions of the State and overthrow it. For Opposition Members to then expound on the merits of An Garda Síochána stinks of hypocrisy.

An Garda Síochána has been through a very difficult patch. For an Opposition Member to bring forward such an ill-thought-out Bill when the Minister for Justice and Equality has announced there will be consultation, engagement and dialogue within the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality shows an ambition to grab a headline and scant regard for what the Bill hopes to achieve, the de-politicisation of the appointment of senior Garda officers. While people could argue there is a political element in the current appointment process, this Bill proposes a political process by throwing it open to this House to kick a person, and his or her personality and family, around. I do not know if any thought went into this Bill but nobody could stand over it and say it is what people want, given that an independent Garda authority is to be established.

Our recent experiences with policing on this island should have taught us not to go down the knee-jerk road when we are making policing changes. This legislation has knee-jerk written all over it, however. The atmosphere and environment in which this ill-thought-out and rushed Bill has been introduced is not conducive to having a proper Second Stage debate.

The Minister for Justice and Equality made quite a positive contribution last night. She hopes to achieve some positive things from the initiatives she has already advanced in the short period of time for which she has been in office. In fairness to the Minister, she deserves time. If this legislation is passed - neither I nor the Government will support it - it will not give the Minister the time to introduce the real reforms that are wanted by people inside and outside the House. This badly crafted Bill does exactly what it does not say on the tin, in terms of Ronseal. I do not support it. In fairness to the Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald, she needs to be given time to allow the programme of reform she has initiated to run its course and to bring a properly structured Garda authority Bill before the House. I hope the people who have put their names to this Bill will support that initiative when it is introduced by the Government.

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