Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left) | Oireachtas source

The Minister, obviously, has no role in processing individual cases; she is not responsible for that matter. However, she is responsible for the lack of teeth in the GSOC organisation. We had a unique opportunity in the legislation that was before the House to give it real strength, but that opportunity was not taken. I put it to the Minister that she has allowed the Garda organisations to consistently seek to undermine to GSOC in public statements and utterances, for which they have not been called to account by any Government representative. In some ways, we were among the biggest defenders of GSOC for a period of time and still recognise that it is doing its best. However, it is still under-resourced and under-armed in terms of the lack of powers to really call the Garda to account. It has been given increased funding, but it is in part to cover the extra role that was formerly fulfilled by the confidential recipient. It is the receiver of complaints against gardaí. Gardaí who have gone to it have recounted to us experiences of having been treated shamefully. It is not fit for purpose.

The Minister sent me a letter earlier in the week regarding a query I had about the €59 million in taxpayers' money paid out in civil claims to members of the public because of Garda malpractice in a 13 year period up to last year. I had sought to establish how much of that money had been paid by the gardaí responsible for the malpractice, how many of them had been disciplined and how many had had their pensions taken from them. The answer the Minister had obtained for me was that the Garda Commissioner could not provide the information which was not available. The force is behaving in an improper manner if we cannot access legitimately requested information.

While the Minister points to new protocols and a better functioning GSOC, I do not see it. Deputy Mick Wallace dealt with my case. I have a case with GSOC which is two and a half years old. It is not exactly a rocket scientist's case, yet l have still not received an answer from GSOC to the complaint. Many of my constituents who have approached GSOC have also not received replies. That anecdotal and real evidence of real people's experiences has to be factored in to the debate. I reiterate that there is a serious problem which needs to be radically and independently addressed.

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