Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak on the Cooke report here today and I am delighted that the Minister is present.

The detail that came out of the Cooke report and the furore at the time is a good example of how we must be careful to not have trial by media. The establishment of the Cooke investigation that led to this report was crucial. One takes the sting out of the sensational headlines, one has a detailed analysis and the facts with which one ends up, as has been stated here earlier, transpire to be very different from what was portrayed at the time. There is a lot of concern about the damage that has been done throughout that process.

Plenty of commentators in the media attacked any politician who questioned where the leak had come from initially as if we were trying to circumvent or distract from the overall case as they had found it. They acted like judge and jury in the issue and did not even want to look at where it came from. In the light of the details of the Cooke report and the details that have come out, it is now even more relevant where that leak came from and what was the motivation behind it. I do not hear those media commentators being nearly as loud as they were.

The Cooke, Fennelly and Guerin reports are important for us to address issues and deficiencies in how An Garda Síochána is run, in the oversight and in the relationship between the State, the Oireachtas and the force. This period has also been quite damaging from the perspective of the morale of the force and public confidence in the Garda. If there is a need for a cultural change in how we police in this country, then we must address that but the outcome of any changes must be that we have a police force that has the full confidence of the public and is motivated and enthused in the role it plays.

I have a number of close friends who are members of An Garda Síochána. I am taken aback by the sacrifice that they make in their role of public service and how importantly they treat it, and by the bravery they show in protecting the citizens of the State and the sacrifice that they make not only for their personal safety, but on a family basis. Working nights is never nice and is very difficult. In particular, I know one couple close to home where both the husband and wife are gardaí and they meet each other coming in and out the door, taking it in shifts to mind the children such is the level of sacrifice.

As a public representative, I work closely on the joint policing committees in Athy and Newbridge and the County Kildare Joint Policing Committee. To see the community gardaí working with the State authorities, the local authorities, residents' associations and politicians is a good way of addressing issues and working together to solve problems.

A couple of years ago, a number of Garda stations in south Kildare were closed and I attended one large public meeting where members of the community which lost the Garda station were very upset. I quickly realised they were upset not at losing the building, but at the sense of losing their garda. Everyone seemed to have this local garda's mobile number. He was, and still is, the quintessential local community garda who was available to the community 24 hours a day seven days a week. Their fear was that they would lose him and it was a testimony to the high regard in which he was held. While that station has closed, the garda got a new squad car and does regular policing in the area. He does his patrols and has clinics in the area. While the community would have liked to retain its station, his role in the community is maintained. In any reform, as we look to establish an independent policing authority before the end of this year, we must ensure that we reinforce the supports to such gardaí who have gained the respect of their whole community.

Investment in resources to aid gardaí in their day-to-day role is crucial if we as a Government are to regain their trust, that we are all working together, supporting each other, and proving that our regard for the job that An Garda Síochána does is not just lip-service.

From my discussions with the Minister, I know she understands the responsibility that is now on our shoulders not just to reform but also to embolden the men and women who police this State. I look forward to working with the Minister in delivering a new era of policing, while not losing the strengths of the force.

Fine Gael is the party of law and order. Some media commentators may have thought that we lost out way in this regard, but we certainly have not. As we head into a new period of reform, I have great confidence in the Minister's ability to bring about that change by drawing on the strengths we have.

County Kildare has one of highest ratios of population to gardaí. This has been a problem for historical reasons. The county has seen a huge population explosion and over 200,000 people now live there, but the numbers of gardaí stationed there does not reflect that growth. We need extra Garda resources, including a fair slice of the recruits graduating from Templemore. In addition, we need adequate resources for the existing gardaí. I look forward to working with the Minister to ensure that such resources are delivered.

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