David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I also wish to raise the question of the gardaí. I am also very concerned about this matter. By and large, the Garda Síochána commands the respect of all the people in this country. I believe, however, that certain elements of the Government have started to behave in an extraordinarily arrogant fashion. The blame may not be all on one side, but I was very surprised when the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, dragged his wife into the equation. I do not think that was wise. In terms of the well-being of the State it is essential to have good relations with the gardaí. Everything that is being done by the Government, however, appears to have provoked them further. Nonetheless, I believe the gardaí have acted with a fair amount of dignity.

I also feel that there is an unnecessary curtailment of freedom of speech. In this situation, to arraign four senior members of the Garda Síochána before a kind of star chamber is not appropriate. It is even worse to hear that a member of the Garda Síochána who was going about his business, doing his family shopping in Ratoath - and who was approached by an electioneering party, including the Taoiseach, and then expressed his mind to the leading politician in this country - is also under investigation. That is outrageous. I ask the Leader if the Minister for Justice and Equality can attend this House to give an undertaking that no procedures will be taken, particularly against an individual - that is, the garda in Ratoath - who was approached and canvassed by the Taoiseach. The garda then explained to him what he felt. He has every reason to feel aggrieved, as many other sections of society have.

I was with a number of Members of both Houses at a briefing of the front-line services and gardaí were literally in tears because they have no money. It is reasonable that they should express this to the Taoiseach. Any attempt to clamp down on that must be strongly resisted by the Seanad.