David Norris (Independent)

What I said previously stands, but one can have enough. It would be incorrect to assume these matters are confined to the County Donegal area. It is necessary to keep an eye on the situation. The Minister will be familiar with the old Latin tag, quis custodiet ipsos custodes, who will guard the guards themselves? We need to keep an eye on this to ensure these practices do not spread. It is a pity that one or two of the detectives involved there appear to be decent people who were led astray. That is a cause of great concern.

I am pleased the Minister approved of the Birmingham report, given its comparative rapidity, the surgical skill displayed and the lack of enormous fees associated with it. As he is in the House, I also commend Senator Maurice Hayes. He was centrally involved in the Patten report. The experience he gained there will undoubtedly be of use in terms of what is recommended in the various reports recently made available to the Minister. There is no doubt the Patten report was a significant one.

I am tired of the constant bickering over Garda numbers. I urge the political parties to lay off trying to confuse people about numbers. I have listened to the debate and it appears to me the Minister is approximately correct. It depends on the snapshot date at which the numbers are taken. One can argue the toss but that leads both sides into folly.