Sheila Terry (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister and thank him for coming to the House to contribute on the Bill. It seems the more legislation on justice issues comes before the House, the less we see of the Minister. It is good, therefore, that he is in the House. I also thank the Minister for publishing the heads of the Bill, which afforded Members the opportunity for consideration before the Bill was published. This is a good practice and one I hope will continue in regard to other legislation.

On the foundation of the State, all of its administrative, industrial and security structures had to be built from scratch. The first step was invariably taken by passing a Bill to put in place a statutory framework upon which the various branches of the State could be built. One of the first tasks of the fledgling State was to establish a police force. In 1923, the Garda Síochána (Temporary Provisions) Act was passed and was followed by a more comprehensive Act in 1924, the Garda Síochána Act. The latter Act has served the State well for the past 80 years, although one could be forgiven for thinking that an 80 year old Act is reflective of the neglectful attitude of this Government in regard to policing matters.