John Minihan (Progressive Democrats)

I join with previous speakers in condemning what occurred on O'Connell Street last Saturday and support the position and courage displayed by members of the Garda Síochána in the situation in which they found themselves. Senator Brian Hayes said there should be a public inquiry. I do not agree. He may mean we need a public debate. I am not sure a public inquiry would get the results we need. I concur with him that, regardless of the outcome, the views held in this country must be debated in public and at length. I hope this House will show leadership on that issue.

Thuggery was displayed and Senator Ryan referred correctly to drunken bowsies. Hopefully those people will be identified and brought before the courts. Even more worrying are the string-pullers who orchestrated and gathered those drunken bowsies. On RTE Radio 1 recently an e-mail was read from a school teacher who said students under the age of 18 were canvassed outside as they left school early last week to come to O'Connell Street on Saturday where a fight was guaranteed. We must get to the mobile phone, string-pulling brigade behind these drunken bowsies who will join a riot regardless of the issue. I hope that a Garda investigation will uncover some of these people.

I support the Garda's soft-handed approach to the parade. The Minister has made it clear that we could have had a ring of steel around O'Connell Street blocking it off and closing businesses. If that had been done we would complain about the extra costs incurred to marshal a peaceful parade. An operational decision was made by the Garda. It did not work out and matters got out of hand. However, we should not dump on the Garda Síochána over the decision that was made. It needs to be supported.

The key message that must emerge from this is that we must learn, as a society, that understated resentments are still being tolerated and public debate is needed to uncover that. Equally, we must support the organs that police the State and show total commitment to the Garda Síochána for the level of commitment it displayed last Saturday.