David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Tánaiste has not answered my question on the broader issue of accountability. This Government has had to set up more commissions and tribunals of investigation than any other Government in the history of the State. I welcome that all of those were set up, as they were necessary, but the reason they are necessary is the number of crises in public life across all services. Why do we have so many? It is because no one is ever held to account. If we consider all the crises over the past decade, not one single individual has been properly held to account.

On Stepaside Garda station, the Tánaiste needs to examine the evidence presented to the Committee of Public Accounts. The criteria given to the former Garda Commissioner by the former Minister for Justice and Equality was Government criteria. We heard at the Committee of Public Accounts that the former Commissioner could have amended the criteria, so the input that was sought from senior gardaí was solely in the context of that criteria. However, the most senior garda in command in Dublin, who was fighting and trying to tackle gun crime and serious gang land crime, was telling the public and policy makers that reopening that Garda station was not a priority. If that is the case, why is the Government pressing ahead with it?

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