Michael Mullins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join the call this morning for a full and frank debate on the Smithwick report. I very much welcome its publication and compliment the judge on his painstaking work over a protracted period. I want to express our sympathies to the families of Chief Superintendent Harry Breen and Superintendent Bob Buchanan. Our thoughts are very much with them today.

It is regrettable that some damage has certainly been done to the reputation of the Garda. The report points to one bad apple at one Garda station in Dundalk and it is worrying that the report states it is unlikely this person will be identified. I would certainly have thought it should have been possible to identify this person, given the location from which they worked was certainly identified.

There is some rightful criticism of the republican movement for their less than full co-operation with the inquiry. There are certainly legacy issues from the past to be dealt with and, if we want the full truth to come out, people have to be forthright and upfront, and co-operate fully with all inquiries. I fully agree with Senator Ó Clochartaigh on the matter of the inquiry into the death of Pat Finucane and that report must also be concluded.

I very much welcome the fact the Minister for Justice and Equality and the Tánaiste gave a very full apology to the families. This is welcome and, I see from media reports, very much appreciated by the families.

I strongly support the words of Senator Colm Burke in calling for some level of common sense and co-operation to be brought to bear on the ESB. There is something bureaucratic and crazy about a situation where ten steps have to be followed before a house can be reconnected with electricity. I call on the relevant Ministers to get together to resolve that issue.