Results 361-380 of 504 for garda speaker:Mary Lou McDonald

Leaders' Questions (19 Feb 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I believe I speak for a great many people when I say I cannot for the life of me understand why Alan Shatter has been allowed to bully, ballyrag and bad-mouth Garda whistleblowers. For the life of me I cannot understand why the Taoiseach would be complicit in his actions, which are clearly aimed-----

Leaders' Questions (19 Feb 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: ...communicated that to Alan Shatter. It is not too late; the Taoiseach still has an opportunity. I ask him to take that opportunity and not dig a deeper hole, not just for Alan Shatter but for the Garda and the oversight body. It is effectively what has been done up to now.

Leaders' Questions (19 Feb 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: When the two whistleblowers on the penalty points scandal stepped forward into the public light, having been frustrated in their efforts to bring the matter to a conclusion within the Garda Síochána, the instinct of the Minister for Justice and Equality was to rubbish these two men. He did so publicly. He did, of course, allege that they refused to co-operate with internal Garda...

Leaders' Questions (19 Feb 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Damage has been done to the Garda Síochána, to accountability and to whistleblowing within that organisation. The chief author of the damage is none other than the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Alan Shatter. The mystery is that the Taoiseach stands by him regardless, as do all members of Fine Gael and Labour. This causes much public bewilderment. The same Minister is...

Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: ...would have the power to compel, if necessary, different individuals, including, perhaps, the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, to co-operate with the inquiry and, for that matter, the Garda Commissioner or any personnel from GSOC.

Leaders' Questions (18 Feb 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: ...the terms of reference? He has hardly covered himself in glory throughout this episode. What powers will the judge have and how much access will he or she be given to the systems and documents of An Garda Síochána? Will he or she be able to draw on a panel of experts who can read, understand and interpret technical data and matters relating to surveillance? This cannot be...

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: ...the Dáil that we could now put this matter behind us - nothing to see here. The Ombudsman believes, and has evidence to support his belief, that there was a credible threat to the security of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission. We now know that the security sweep of the GSOC office was sparked by heightened concerns of breaches of confidentiality last May. We also...

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: The Tánaiste is passing the buck, which is not all that surprising. Yesterday, it took a considerable period to have the Taoiseach admit that he had misquoted the Garda Síochána Act 2005. His first reaction when all of this came to public attention was to point the finger at the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission and apportion blame there. That is what the...

Leaders' Questions (13 Feb 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: .... The Government has now placed a question mark over its ability to oversee impartial, accountable policing in this State. This is the gravest disservice which the Government can do to An Garda Síochána. Can the Tánaiste confirm that no agency of this State was authorised to put GSOC under surveillance? Can he categorically state that no arm of this State was authorised...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (13 Feb 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: ...and unnecessary. In the course of this debacle, for all sorts of reasons damage has been done, certainly in the mind of the public, to the idea of whistleblowers, whistleblowing within An Garda Síochána, how that is regarded and so on. We do more damage by needlessly insisting on not giving this man a transcript of his evidence, as requested by his solicitor. Members know I...

Order of Business (5 Feb 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: The whistleblower legislation is now on Second Stage in the Dáil. It requires new regulations in terms of the confidential recipient and whistleblowing mechanism within An Garda Síochána. Could the Taoiseach confirm to the Dáil that those regulations will be laid before us and whether we will have an opportunity to consider and debate them? The Taoiseach might be aware...

Protected Disclosures Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (4 Feb 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: A grave disservice has been done to the notion of whistleblowers, protected disclosures and the kind of protections that must exist for persons who step forward, whether they are members of the Garda Síochána, any other agency of the State or any private entity. It is a deep irony that the Minister is bringing forward this very welcome legislation this evening while last week he...

Protected Disclosures Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (4 Feb 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: The other irony is that in the course of this controversy, the only names that have been bandied about, and with wild abandon, have been the names of the two Garda whistleblowers. They have had comments made on them during committee proceedings by, among others, the Garda Commissioner. My colleague Deputy Sean Fleming referred to some of those remarks. Yet we had to hear from the...

Protected Disclosures Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (4 Feb 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: ...the moneys paid before the conclusion of the case. That matter is still outstanding and I look forward to discussing it with the Minister on Committee Stage. Section 19 of the Bill amends the Garda Síochána Act 2005 by requiring the Minister for Justice and Equality to make regulations providing procedures for protected disclosures by members of the Garda Síochána....

Protected Disclosures Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (4 Feb 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: ...Committee of Public Accounts. It is the Minister's own commitment to this legislation and its spirit that makes public commentary by Ministers, including the Minister himself, in advance of the Garda whistleblower coming before the Committee of Public Accounts last week so unsatisfactory. I believe Ministers cynically used the media to undermine the motivation of the Opposition members...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (29 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: ...size of the President's household staff complement. It is pure nosiness on my part and I am asking because I do not know and it caught my attention on the list. I understand responsibility for Garda stations was transferred to the OPW last year. Will the Minister of State provide an update on the process for their prospective sale and the position on the return of stations for...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (29 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: What about Garda stations?

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 7 - Management of Fixed Charge Notice System (23 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: ...testimony from either individual but I am certain from what I know that they would strenuously contest that account and defend the position that they acted absolutely within the procedures of An Garda Síochána, including making a full report to the confidential recipient. The committee needs to get to the bottom of that matter. The Commissioner expressed concern about the use...

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 7 - Management of Fixed Charge Notice System (23 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I am also aware that the individuals concerned claim they were isolated in their workplaces. They felt they were victimised to whatever extent. One of them subsequently left the service of An Garda Síochána. Does the Commissioner not accept it would be difficult for them to hear him use a word like "disgusting" to describe their behaviour?

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 7 - Management of Fixed Charge Notice System (23 Jan 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: ...an undefined process he will not share with us and the assistant commissioner reported back to him in December. Meanwhile, the Comptroller and Auditor General had contact from a member of An Garda Síochána, the CEO of the Road Safety Authority had contact from a member of An Garda Síochána, and Members of the Oireachtas were furnished with information in respect of...