Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Policing reform is important. The pre-legislative scrutiny of the policing security and community safety Bill and the Garda Síochána (powers) Bill is taking place at the Joint Committee on Justice. This comes after a debate on both Bills. The power of the GSOC to look into historical cases is important, especially in the so-called Kerry babies case. There still has been no explanation as to how five or six members of the same family in different rooms in one Garda station all made statements that could not possibly have been true. It was a systematic failure. We cannot get to a place where the police service has been reformed without this being investigated and accounted for.

The Hayes family has received an apology but the apology was delivered because the standards of a proper Garda investigation were not met. That is not good enough. An explanation needs to be given as to how those family members came to make the same statement. Will the Taoiseach commit to this being a major plank of any policing reform? Will he endorse proper resources and legislation for GSOC so it can look into these historic cases?

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