Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

-----or are fired out of here. He will be called on to defend the Government when some other party is in power. That is why I previously told the Tánaiste that I support the Minister, Deputy Ross's, battle over the register of interests. We are lucky to have judges to do this, but we should have full clarification with nothing hidden about involvement in anything else either.

As regards An Garda Síochána, I have been involved in Community Alert since 1986 and have supported the Garda all my life. We must never forget there is a very thin line between them and their duties and the public. No police force can survive without the support of the public. The vast majority of members of An Garda Síochána do that night and day, often in very precarious situations. They often risk life and limb. All too often sadly their lives have been taken and sucked away from their family.

As the Tánaiste said in her speech:

We have to remember that the truth or otherwise of allegations is not determined by their seriousness or their frequency but by the facts. Establishing those facts, without fear or favour, is what I and the Government are determined should happen. [The Tánaiste expressed her gratitude to Mr. Justice Charleton] ... It is of the utmost importance that allegations of wrongdoing by members of An Garda Síochána are fully addressed and there is no doubt that in the past this did not happen as it should have. It is very important that in addressing one injustice we do not create others.

In that vein - tá sé imithe - I was alarmed at the intervention of the former Minister and high priest yesterday, Deputy Howlin. He has experience, including as a former Leas-Cheann Comhairle. He showed arrogance in the past five years and was untouchable. In the last Government he was one of the magic four who ignored the rest of the Cabinet, including probably the present Tánaiste. He certainly ignored us. I questioned him about his role, his party's role and his family's role in the banishment of local democracy. Who was at the head of the Association Of Irish Local Government, AMAI? It was someone very close to him. When I served a summons on the former Minister, big Phil the enforcer, in the restaurant here, he laughed at me. It was the first time it ever happened that I was forced to go to the High Court with FLAME, an organisation representing former councillors. We wrote to the AMAI-----

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