Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I knew Detective Garda Colm Horkan. Like every other Garda, I was respected him and was thankful to him and at all times believed, as Deputy O’Callaghan stated earlier, that they are of the community. We have a relationship with An Garda Síochána since the foundation of the State about which we must ask ourselves. Over the past number of years, I saw in both the Seanad and the Dáil that when the Garda whistleblowers and other matters came to the fore, politicians could not wait to get out and undermine the confidence and integrity of the Garda Síochána. I hope we will have some balance in this regard from now on. We cannot criticise without remembering that these are young men and women of our communities. We need to stand up at times and to protect them because they are protecting us. One has to ask oneself what has brought us to having somebody chasing down a garda down the street. It is perhaps a symptom in respect of politicians and commentators and we need to be measured. I am really angry that a young man has died. In the future we must choose our words carefully both here and in the media because we can undermine the confidence and integrity of those brave men and women. I offer my sympathies to Detective Garda Horkan’s family, his loved ones and the brave men and women colleagues of his in An Garda Síochána.

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