Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Fahey, to the House.

The one section over which I would place a question mark is the Houses of the Oireachtas, since the presence of the Garda Síochána here is a big asset to the work of the Houses. It is all right now, since we are in peacetime, but in difficult times it was very important that they were here. They accord status to the Houses of the Oireachtas, which are not like the National Gallery or the National Museum. I would be very reluctant for the Government and the Minister to remove the excellent staff and members of the Garda Síochána who are present in the Houses. There are security positions in the Houses with cameras, and the staff are doing an excellent job. I would be very reluctant to change that system. The gardaí have tremendous status in the Houses.

The Army is in charge of security at night when the Houses close. Its training in this regard is very specialised. I do not know whether there is any provision for the removal of the Army personnel who take over the full security of these Houses from the close of business until the opening of business in the morning. We are fortunate in having the Army prepared to carry out this duty of protecting the institutions of the State and the Houses of the Oireachtas. It has a dual role in that regard, and I am delighted that members of the Defence Forces are here in the House. They have served the State very well, and it lends great prestige to the House to have members of the Army present for its security.

I would be very reluctant to see members of the Garda Síochána withdrawn from service in the Houses if the legislation were enacted. I do not think the Minister will act in that manner, since their presence is a great influence on the many visitors to the House and a great support to Members and visitors.

The Bill deals with the issue of an ombudsman. There is a need for an ombudsman for the Garda Síochána similar to that approved for the Army, and I hope that senior officials will consider it. I brought up some matters on Committee Stage concerning the need for members of the Garda Síochána to have a complaints mechanism similar to that established for the Defence Forces, and I hope the Minister of State will convey to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell, my strong recommendation that it be considered. Many of the matters that I raised on behalf of the Garda Síochána might be better dealt with by a dedicated ombudsman who could address them internally.