Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am aware of the distress caused in these cases over many years. In fact, some of these cases came directly to the Department of the Taoiseach.

This is the only Government that has set up an independent investigation and analysis of all of these cases, over 200 in total. The Minister was very careful to have a person of appropriate experience look at all these cases objectively and communicate with the persons involved or their loved ones. The independent review was not put together as a commission of investigation or a commission of inquiry. Its purpose was to look at the allegations made and to make a determination on whether any further action was needed. It is important to note that it was open to the independent review mechanism to recommend any form of statutory inquiry into cases that it examined. Deputy Martin will be aware, because he gave some of them to me himself, that some of these cases are very complicated and go back over many years.

I reiterate that the Garda has fully complied with all requests for information in connection with the cases that were referred to the panel. Any suggestion that the panel did not receive full co-operation and full information is not accurate. The panel has provided recommendations to the Minister in all 320 cases and the Minister has accepted the recommendations of counsel in all cases. In order to ensure the probity and independence of the entire process from start to finish, the Minister for Justice and Equality requested the retired High Court judge, Mr. Justice Murphy, to undertake the task of overseeing the preparation of the letters of notification to ensure that those letters contained a fair and accurate reflection of the panel's recommendation. A total of 152 letters have issued to date. Some cases resulted in recommendations for further action, which the Minister has accepted, including referral to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission and requesting a report from the Garda Commissioner in accordance with section 41(2) of the Act of 2005. The remaining notification letters will continue to issue over the coming weeks. It is understood that a number of these cases will result in significant further action, of which I am not yet aware. It is the intention of the Minister, on the completion of the process, to make a comprehensive statement of all the actions she has decided to take in line with the recommendations from counsel, and that will be discussed here.

I referred to the other matter Deputy Martin mentioned yesterday. The Chairman of the Joint Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis requested extra time from the Dáil to complete his report and the committee's report. The Dáil granted extra time until the end of January. That is normal business and a normal request. The two things that Deputy Martin has raised are entirely separate.

See this speech in context