Dáil debates

Wednesday, 15 February 2017

Confidence in Government: Motion

 

6:55 pm

Photo of Paul MurphyPaul Murphy (Dublin South West, Anti-Austerity Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I have zero confidence in this Government for a lot of reasons, but they were crystallised this week when we got a glimpse of the dark, rotten and sinister underbelly of the Irish State, namely, the black propaganda campaign that has been alleged to have come from the top of An Garda Síochána. The response of the Government to the exposure gives a glimpse of the threat to people's basic democratic rights that exists. The response of the Government was to engage in evasion, spin and outright deception.

The Taoiseach's various changing versions of events over the course of a number of days have no credibility whatsoever. The Government and Taoiseach attempted to take people for fools, and continue to do so. The Taoiseach's studious and wilful misunderstanding of the point four times so far in the House, I understand, about the fact that him telling the Minister, Deputy Zappone, that the issue would be covered by the commission investigation exposes his story because it shows that he knows more than he let on. It goes even further and he cannot be let away with deceiving people again and again, while we are expected to brush it under the carpet.

Fianna Fáil enables this and its position is laughable. Anyone who heard Deputy Kelleher on the radio today describing the Government as incoherent and shambolic, but also saying that Fianna Fáil would loyally ensure its stability, would wonder what position it has gotten itself into.

Another reason I have no confidence in the Government is that it is allowing the Commissioner to remain in place. It is agreeing to the setting up of a public inquiry into whether the Commissioner orchestrated black propaganda against her own gardaí. The Government agreed to allow a public inquiry to go ahead, but at the same time has full confidence in the Commissioner continuing in her role when she is in a position whereby she could obstruct the operation of the tribunal. She has to step aside right now.

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