Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The Green Party will not be able to affirm confidence in the Government this evening. In effect, this debate is about an issue that we have been debating intensely this week and for many years. What is it that has allowed this issue more than any other to trip up the Government? Is it that Fine Gael, in terms of its identity dating back to Michael Collins, Michael Staines and the foundation of the State, is so close to the Garda Síochána it did not listen to and check some of the issues that were raised here and elsewhere only to realise too late that this was an issue that could not be ignored?

The Green Party has confidence in this House. We do not want an election but we accept there is a need to restore public confidence. We believe we can strengthen the work of this House, although that is probably a minority opinion. My confidence in this House is based on the fact that it allows us the opportunity to ask awkward questions and try to get to the truth. It allows us to question Ministers. It puts Ministers and the Taoiseach on the spot on a daily basis. That does not happen in other Parliaments. That is right and good. We have an opportunity now to extend the powers of this Parliament. Earlier today there were four committees sitting doing tremendous work, with members going from one committee to another. We work hard and we try to represent the people to the best of our ability. I do not want to see this House fall. I want to see public confidence restored in terms of what we do. We do that by restoring confidence in An Garda Síochána. That confidence has been lost as a result of what happened to Maurice McCabe and other whistleblowers. We do it by restoring some sort of order to what is going on between the Garda and the media. We all know of cases where a report has slipped and matters were dealt with in a back-handed manner. That type of connection between the Garda and the media is wrong. That is what is behind this case. We have an opportunity now to sort that out.

Even more sad is that we now also need to check on the Child and Family Agency, Tusla, which was set up to protect children, which is one of the biggest issues with which we have had difficulty in recent years. Confidence in that institution is much diminished. We have a responsibility to work together in conjunction with the tribunal of inquiry to try to sort out those three issues. There must be respect and trust in the Garda Síochána, respect and proper order in the relationship between the Garda and the media, and respect in our child protection agency so that we never again see an incident like this. We must find out what exactly happened. Let us see what the tribunal delivers.

I agree with Deputy Wallace. I am nervous about tribunals. I have been on the outskirts of a couple of them and I did not like the way they worked. I do not like how much they cost or the length of time they take. The Tánaiste has a particular responsibility to get the terms of reference of the tribunal right, to ensure its work is completed in nine months and to ensure it is transparent and brings justice to all involved. This House has a responsibility, in the context of the tribunal taking nine months to complete its work, to see out that business and to ensure it works well and independently in a judicial manner. I would like to see us as a House deliver that report and restore some of the confidence that has been lost.

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