Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

You cannot talk about the reform of policing without reflecting on the events of last week. The entire city rejects the thuggery, violence and property damage that occurred. I do not think those who organised the protest can escape culpability either. For whatever reason, the State was not in a position to respond adequately. I hear the Taoiseach say that the Garda Commissioner will have public order units in place until at least Christmas. The very least the Government needs to do is ensure that the resources in place now to keep people safe and reassure them, and which should have been in place long before last Friday, are in place until we are able to restore Garda numbers. Despite the its best efforts, the Government, even with the financial resources it has available, has not been able to recruit gardaí. It is time to look at the pay of gardaí. If we are going to ask them to stand in the face of a riot, we have to pay them properly.

On the issue of oversight and the use of force, gardaí constantly tell me they are afraid to act. We have to make sure they are enabled to do act without looking over their shoulders. At the same time, we must ensure that there is adequate accountability. In the context of restoring confidence in the city, it is important that we act quickly and ensure that the temporary measures, including the €10 million provided, are made more permanent until we can restore the numbers of gardaí in Dublin.

See this speech in context