Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have in my hand a simple Bill that was compiled with the help of Dublin City Council officials to address what senior gardaí, including superintendents and those on joint policing committees, JPCs, identify as a legislative problem. Like the Minister of State, Deputy Ann Phelan, the former Minister and Deputy, Mr. Phil Hogan, said that the Garda Commissioner sees no need for extra laws. Every garda on a JPC says this is wrong and must be re-examined as there is a problem with existing legislation that must be addressed. It has been repeated by the Minister of State that gardaí believe there is no problem but this is not true. The drugs task force, senior gardaí and Dublin City Council officials have raised this matter so the Minister of State should go back to the drawing board to find out where this information comes from. If the information has come directly from the Garda Commissioner, as in the past, it must be examined, although a new person now holds that position. We must find out why this information was given to the Minister of State because it is inaccurate.

I seek to reintroduce my Bill and have the issue I raise re-examined. We must look at the legislation properly because ordinary gardaí and superintendents recognise that there is a problem. They cannot all be incorrect so there is something wrong in the information supplied to the Minister of State. Can I reintroduce my Bill as it waited two years in a queue? It is an urgent issue - a matter of life and death in some cases - because people cannot rest in their local parks due to these vehicles. Gardaí cannot seize these vehicles because if they do so, they must give them back. Gardaí cannot hold on to the vehicles.

See this speech in context