Maurice Hayes (Independent)

I also favour some strengthening of the reference to and the protection of human rights in the Bill, partly because of the work of the Patten commission which was suffused with this issue. When debating this section, we may be confusing three aspects. One of these is the function to protect human rights in the same way as protecting property and life. One might say that this is implicit in what the force does.

The second aspect is that the members of the Garda Síochána, when dealing with a citizen, should have due regard for the requirements of standards of human rights. The third aspect is that a human rights culture should be inculcated in the Garda through its training programme. These aspects surface on a number of occasions in the Bill and I am not sure where the Minister wishes to place the emphasis. It seems to me declamatory at least and worth saying that the function of the Garda Síochána is to protect the human rights of the citizen. I will deal with the other points as we reach them.