Joe O'Toole (Independent)

I welcome the Minister and compliment him on introducing a Bill that is creative and goes into new areas. I hope it works. The Minister was present throughout the Second Stage debate to hear the very interesting points made in Members' contributions and I look forward to his reply. However, let me apologise at this stage because I will not be present for it, but I will look very closely at it.

I would like to hear the Minister's views on the following points. The decision to root the force in local communities is a brilliant idea. Many spoke of the importance of the Garda presence in the local community when they were growing up. I remember in the old days it was a requirement of the Garda Síochána, and it still is, that a crucial aspect of its work was to improve its local knowledge. The minute by minute engagement of the garda on the beat with the community was lessened with the introduction of patrol cars. Murders are very few and far between but, in the old days, the local garda would have known all the information required, although he may not have been able to get a conviction. The world has changed in that sense, but this Bill brings it back to the local community and the local authority.

However, it would be a worry if the wrong people became involved, for example, people who would try to make political capital from it or others who do not have a clear view of the world. I do not have an answer, but it should be absolutely stressed, and I accept the Bill provides for this, that the policing committee has an advisory role. The only proactive word in section 32 is in subsection (2)(d) — "co-ordinate the activities of local policing fora." There is nothing wrong with that, but it should be made absolutely clear that the role is analogous to a school inspector, who is not entitled to give direct orders. That is the sense of what is in the Bill, but it is important that it is understood. The intelligence that the local fora will provide will help hugely. The involvement of local authorities, which is not new in Europe or in the US, is also very positive.

A garda is obliged to take an oath that he or she will not belong to "any political party or secret society whatsoever". Is that word used in the reflexive and intended to reflect on political parties? I wonder do we need the word "whatsoever", as it seems to give a poor impression of political parties. I am not a member of one, so I can speak from a disinterested point of view. What is a secret society? Will the Minister deal with this in his reply? Can one say for definite that the local garda will not be a member of the Knights of Columbanus?