Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It was so disappointing to see the Minister for Justice turn her back on the rank and file gardaí up and down the length and breadth of this country and to give a blank cheque of support to Commissioner Drew Harris. He has failed in securing the support of even a minority of gardaí and he has let them down. However, the Minister and the Government gave him a blank cheque. If only they knew how hurtful it was to the members of An Garda Síochána. I am listening to them and what they say is not only have they lost confidence and hope in the Commissioner, they have lost hope in the Minister because she did not even offer them an olive branch or a hand out; all she said was that she was supporting the Commissioner. It was a ridiculously political naive decision to make and she was backed by the Taoiseach. Even if the Taoiseach backed Commissioner Harris, the Minister should not have. She should have said: "No, I am Minister for Justice and I am going to stand with the gardaí." She has let them down and it will never be forgotten. There are a quarter of a million people if you take the members of An Garda Síochána and their immediate group of support into account. The Minister has alienated herself from an awful lot of people and what she did to them will never be forgotten. It was really bad.

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