Dáil debates

Wednesday, 15 February 2017

Confidence in Government: Motion

 

8:15 pm

Photo of Jonathan O'BrienJonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I do not have confidence in the Taoiseach or the Government. I question how anybody in this House could vote confidence in the Government of a Taoiseach who cannot even remember what he said, whom he met and what he was told only a few short days ago. Since last Friday, the Taoiseach has given four different accounts of the events surrounding his knowledge of the Tusla aspects of the Sergeant Maurice McCabe's case. There were four versions in less than a week. Two of the differing accounts were actually given within 14 minutes of each other last night.

The Taoiseach stated yesterday that he had been mistaken and that he actually did not meet the Minister, Deputy Katherine Zappone, about Sergeant McCabe prior to her meeting him. Everyone can make a mistake and if it was a mistake, he can be forgiven. However, I do not believe it was because he did not just say he had met the Minister, he actually went into details of a conversation with her saying he had advised her to take very thorough notes of the meeting. We subsequently learned that that conversation was a complete work of fiction. It beggars belief Fianna Fáil is actually happy to continue supporting a Government led by a man who makes up full blown conversations with his ministerial colleagues. Let us think about that. The Taoiseach readily told the people about conversations he had had with members of the Cabinet that he never had. In any other democracy he would be forced to resign or fall on his own sword. However, in this state he is allowed to continue.

Chaotic, shambolic, incompetent, naive and incoherent is how the Taoiseach's Government has been described tonight but not by anyone in Sinn Féin. They are the words of Fianna Fáil members used in describing the Government. What is Fianna Fáil going to do about it? It is going to allow the Taoiseach to continue in the interests of stability. If I was Mr. Ryan Tubridy - I am glad I am not - I would give everyone in Fianna Fáil a tweezers because there are surely splinters embedded in their backsides from sitting on fences for so long since the formation of the Government. This is the party the members of which have pressed the blue abstain button during votes more times than they have pressed the green or the red button. That is how much Fianna Fáil cares about stability.

What was the price for the Independent Alliance's support tonight? There is to be an in-depth review of An Garda Síochána to be led by an international and independent figure. I do not know whether the Independent Alliance is aware of this, but we actually have an inspectorate that is independent, statutory and internationally-led that already looks at the operations and administration of An Garda Síochána. It is doing quite a good job. In recent years it has made over 750 recommendations on how the efficiency and administration of An Garda Síochána can be improved. Unfortunately, very few of these recommendations have been taken on board because the legislation that governs that inspectorate does not give it any power to implement them.

Much has been said about how we have reached this point. The Government has outlined its own record on reform of An Garda Síochána. If it had listened to many of the amendments we had tabled to Bills dealing with the Policing Authority, GSOC and An Garda Síochána, as well as miscellaneous provisions and amendment Bills, we would not be in this situation. There would be a much more robust and accountable process in place for members of An Garda Síochána at a senior level. However, the Government failed to do this. For that and many others reasons, we do not have confidence in the Taoiseach or his Government.

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