Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The question involved asking me when I received the Fennelly commission report and the actions I took thereafter. That is the question I was asked but we are now in detailed discussion about the meetings that took place and the actions that did or did not happen, as the case may be, in respect of the issues relating to Templemore. I do not have all of that paperwork. I will read the documentation from Mr. Barrett. I do not think I said that the Commissioner acted with alacrity. I did say that she accepted the findings of the report, put in place arrangements to ensure the recommendations were implemented and sent the report to the Committee of Public Accounts and the Comptroller and Auditor General because she is the Accounting Officer for the purposes of the Comptroller and Auditor General Acts.

Deputy Howlin mentioned a sub-committee and said that the question was asked regarding the purpose of the sub-committee. Its purpose was to find out further information that the Commissioner required in order to satisfy herself that she was happy that the section 41 requirement would be completed and a response sent to the Minister. These questions are being actively pursued by the Committee of Public Accounts. I do not speak for the Commissioner here but all these events and issues took place long before she became Commissioner. I read in some of the newspapers that her function when she was in Templemore was specialist training and that she did not deal with that side of the activities at the Garda College. In respect of what Deputy Micheál Martin pointed out, I read about Mr. Barrett, that he received quite serious push-back in respect of the issues he was raising here and that he was counselled by people to be careful. These are matters that need to be teased out at the Committee of Public Accounts, as I am sure they will be. I have no doubt that the Commissioner will attend there and defend her position as Garda Commissioner and as the only Garda Commissioner who took action in this matter to see that it was sorted out. Everybody knows that we have had a range of issues relating to An Garda Síochána for six, eight or ten years and before. Deputy Howlin was very forthright in making the point that we should have a totally independent police authority and repeated that on many occasions. That has been a fundamental change in the way we look at all of this. I hope that the commission looking at the structure with a root-and-branch focus on An Garda Síochána, its culture and competence and the way it is run will produce serious dividends for the community and the force itself in the time ahead. What has happened in the past has not been to the benefit of the pride of An Garda Síochána in many respects but yet there are so many gardaí who do their job as one would expect - professionally and in the interests of the State and the uniform they wear. I hope that 13 July will be the next opportunity for the Committee of Public Accounts to follow through on further details about the issues surrounding Templemore.

See this speech in context