Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Obviously the Deputy is free to criticise my handling of the events of recent days, as is anyone, but the basic approach I will always follow is that people should be given a fair hearing and that we should know all the facts before we rush to judgment. I appreciate fully that has never been the approach of Deputy Adams or his party. In the Sinn Féin view of the world people do not deserve a fair hearing, people are executed without trial and punished without getting a fair hearing. I will never operate on that basis. I will always ensure that allegations are taken seriously and are also properly investigated before we rush to judgment. I know that is the kind of approach which Maurice McCabe and his family would support and which should have always been followed in respect of the allegations which he made. It was certainly the approach which I followed when he came to me a number of years ago with allegations in respect of penalty points and with evidence to back them up. That is why on this occasion, before jumping to judgment, we should once again make sure that we know the facts and that allegations are taken seriously and are properly investigated.

As it stands with this case, there is an investigation under way. That investigation will not be carried out here in the Dáil, nor should it be. It should be carried out by the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC, which is the body set up and empowered by the Oireachtas to investigate complaints against An Garda Síochána. The GSOC investigation report is still awaited. We should allow that investigation to happen, get the report and then consider the outcome. That is the appropriate role for ourselves as politicians and for this House. I am advised by the Minister, Deputy Flanagan, that he would be happy to meet Deputy Adams today to discuss the matter further. It is very much my view, however, that we should allow GSOC to carry out its investigation. When we have a report, we can then consider it.

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