Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that. We can no longer keep giving An Garda Síochána mismanagement political cover. Decisions must be taken as to how the force is managed. I understand the predicament in which the Tánaiste finds herself, but we need to hear about concrete actions from her. Given that we have a Garda Inspectorate, a Policing Authority and a Department of Justice and Equality, when can we expect to see a root-and-branch change, and why does an external service need to do this when we have two State entities already? There are quite a number of quite sensible recommendations in the Garda Inspectorate report. We should now see the implementation of these and a political willingness to do so. Those are the messages we need to hear in this House because the people outside these walls, with every new scandal that emerges, are losing faith in policing in this country.

In the short time available to me, I refer again to the Tánaiste's statement that there will be some remedy for those who were incorrectly convicted. I wish to quote directly from her full written speech again. It states, "Letters will begin issuing to these individuals on 3 April." It also states, "All of these cases will be appealed by An Garda Síochána in order to ensure that the courts set aside these convictions, all fines will be reimbursed and penalties removed, and all of those affected will be contacted directly by An Garda Síochána." She states definitively that these convictions will be overturned. What further remedies, if any, are open to these people who, in certain circumstances, may feel as if their good names were tarnished in having to appear before judges in district courts, potentially on unsound convictions? Will there be further remedies besides the issuing of the letters and the revocation of the fines so that those affected might have their good names restored?

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