Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is very important legislation, as the Ceann Comhairle and I know, having looked at the situation around us, to which the last speaker referred. The situation in regard to drugs has come up again and again, and it is going to get worse, unfortunately. I will deal with that shortly. It is important legislation because it will set the standards in the police force of this country for the next 20 years, I would say, having regard to what happened in the past in terms of reform within An Garda Síochána.

We all have a duty to support An Garda Síochána and we look to it as a friendly force and as friendly people to go to at any time, particularly at times of difficulty. It is a benign force, rightly so, and we expect recognition of the need for it to do the unique job done by an unarmed police force. Generally speaking, that is being done. However, in recent times, things have happened that I cannot understand. For example, those of us who have been around a while have put forward suggestions for recognition of various forms of protection for gardaí in regard to, for example, a garda being dragged by the hair of her head along a footpath, and gardaí being stabbed and interfered with in every way possible in an appalling situation that reduces confidence among the members of the force and the public who support the force. That should not be happening; it should not happen once but it certainly should not be repeated. I know drugs are probably a reason for this but whatever it is, we need to get to the bottom of it.

Gardaí depend on the public for support and if some members of the public take it upon themselves to attack the forces that are there to protect the rest of the community, then it is time to take a hand. Whatever needs to be done by way of public education, advertisement, engagement or whatever the case may be, we have to do it. There is now an indication that the forces of law and order are breaking down, which is a serious issue. I know we live in an era where there is little respect for any kind of authority. In particular, in regard to An Garda Síochána, for some unknown reason, there are people who take things out on what they see as the representatives of the institutions of the State. They have no right to go that direction but if they do go that direction, they should face a prison sentence.

We have had a number of situations in recent years concerning the Garda. Situations have come to our attention and a recent speaker referred to ringing a Garda station and being told they had to ring 999. People do not have to ring 999. They can go up and knock on the door and if gardaí are inside, people can report something, and that is it; it is done. On the other hand, of the situations that have presented in the recent past, some need very urgent attention. When, as was indicated earlier, a member of the public goes to a Garda station to be told they rang the wrong number, that is wrong. Modern technology is such that it is now possible to ring any number and get to the space someone wants to go to in an instant. Pretending that someone has to ring a different number is all wrong.

I raised an issue this morning in regard to another subject because issues have been brought to my attention that are, to say the least, alarming and will be the subject of a major investigation at some stage. This is in regard to family law issues that I have raised previously. Things have happened that should not have happened. Children have been arrested on the basis of the actions of messengers of the court. Mothers have been arrested, and even some men have been arrested, although not many as it is generally women. Something is going wrong. We all know what the law is, so we do not need a lecture from anybody to tell us what should be happening. We know what should be happening and we need to deal with it, and make it possible for every citizen to believe that, as supporters of the institutions of the State, they can expect to be treated as if they are members of the same State.

I have always had the view, as the Ceann Comhairle knows, that if we have a complaint to make, we make it.

I would like to think that in any of the cases I was involved in, I never wished to damage the promotional possibilities for any officer anywhere, even where something was brought to my attention that should not have happened. We should always be prepared to give the person at the centre of the storm a second chance.

I had an experience recently where something was brought to my attention that was not what we would expect. A person who was not a prisoner anywhere yet was being treated as has happened in other jurisdictions. That should not be happening here. I decided to ring the officer concerned on the basis I did not want this to go any further. I merely wanted them to consult the offended party to see if the concerns could be assuaged, and so on. I was told in an offhand way that I was not present, implying I did not have the right to raise the question. Of course, I did not have to be present because the person to whom I was speaking was present, and he knew. I then followed it up. I do not go away easily, a Cheann Comhairle.

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