Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

Does the Taoiseach agree it is completely inappropriate for the Minister for Justice to act separately from an independent process and to make a finding about a complaint by members of the public about how they were treated by gardaí at the Mothers Against Genocide protest. It is quite incredible that the Minister came out and said footage shows that allegations made in the Dáil about strip-searching of protestors "were false". The Minister did not even claim to have seen this footage. He based what he said on reports from the Garda Commissioner. As Deputy Coppinger pointed out, the Commissioner has not seen the footage. In fact, there is no such footage. It is simply a question of the Minister for Justice hearing from the Commissioner that the Garda had investigated itself and - do not worry - found it had done nothing wrong. That is absolutely incredible. Does the Taoiseach agree there needs to be an independent process?

We repeated the stories the women told us. We believe the Mothers Against Genocide. We repeated those stories not just in the Dáil, where there is the question of use of Dáil privilege, but also outside. We are fully free, able and willing to continue to do that. Does the Taoiseach agree that there needs to be an independent process and that the Minister should withdraw this incredible attempt to describe these mothers as liars and allow them to proceed with their complaint to Fiosrú before passing judgment?

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