Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

Serious allegations were made about the policing of a protest by Mothers Against Genocide. Since then, TDs like me have been accused of not telling the truth. More seriously, women involved in the protest have been made out to be liars by the Garda Commissioner and by the Minister for Justice. I want to clarify the situation. What does the Taoiseach think about this turn in policing? We were told that the Commissioner reviewed footage and was satisfied there was no wrongdoing. He stated, "Searches of individuals are not subject to CCTV coverage but I'm entirely [confident] there's no wrongdoing." In other words, he could not have reviewed footage because there is no footage. At the AGSI conference, the Minister said that there was no wrongdoing and that he had full faith in the Commissioner. At no time did the Minister talk to anyone from Mothers Against Genocide.

As for the idea that women would leave police stations and lie about being strip-searched or cavity searched, does the Taoiseach know how humiliating an experience like that would be for anyone, male or female? Does he think they would lie about it? Believe women when they say they have been strip-searched. They will make their own complaint. They will carry on with that complaint, and they stand over what they said. I would like the Taoiseach to call out his Minister and the Commissioner for not listening to the two sides of the story.

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