Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach's behaviour in relation to An Taisce is reminiscent of Donald Trump.

The emergency powers handed to the Garda and the State last year are due to expire on 9 June but it is rumoured that the Government is thinking of extending them yet again. We have seen how the so called Covid powers have been used to harass Debenhams workers and to ban a car-based protest by taxi drivers. We have also seen 40 gardaí with six police vans physically breaking up a Debenhams picket in Waterford on Monday night. Socially distanced protests on the current housing crisis, for example, have been effectively criminalised without any serious scrutiny. Despite repeated promises to the Policing Authority, the Garda has still not provided a detailed breakdown by ethnicity of how these powers have been used. There is evidence of serious age and class bias as over 2,000 fines were handed out in the northern region of Dublin and fewer than 300 fines were handed out in the better off eastern region.

Does the Government intend to renew these powers? If so, will the Taoiseach at least insist on full advance scrutiny, including at an all-party committee and in debates in the Dáil?

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