Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have already made it very clear that we will have a number of opportunities to have further and detailed discussions on the commission of investigation. There is the independent Policing Authority. I reject the Deputy's assertion about the powers of that body. It has an oversight role in relation to An Garda Síochána which I have no doubt it will fulfil very well. It has already held one public meeting and will have others. It can make an independent decision on how it should handle the report. There is much talk about the politicisation of policing. We have an independent body which can discuss this issue. It has the authority and we should allow it to get on with its work. We will also have a further detailed debate in the House on the commission's report.

Yesterday I outlined the legal position in commenting on particular transcripts. I have had a conversation with the Garda Commissioner about the recommendations made in the report. I have had a discussion about how they need to be implemented. She has informed me about the attitude and the wish of An Garda Síochána to deal effectively and properly with Garda whistleblowers and that it is implementing in full the legislation on protected disclosures. As I stated, with regard to the details of the transcripts, I do not think it would be appropriate for me to respond on partial transcripts, but it is important for me to have a conversation with the Commissioner and ongoing discussions with An Garda Síochána on the implementation of the report and the many issues addressed in it which need to be deal with.

I make the point that the report concerns the period 2007 to 2008. These complaints were first brought to the then Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform in 2009, who at that point appropriately referred them back to the then Commissioner. Many of the issues that are dealt with in that report have now begun to be implemented already by An Garda Síochána-----

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