Seanad debates

Tuesday, 25 February 2014

3:10 pm

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I join Senator Bacik and Senator Zappone in commending the work of the Constitutional Convention and calling for a debate in the House on the final report, which will be furnished to the Taoiseach by the chairman, Mr. Tom Arnold. If we have a debate, the Taoiseach should come to the Chamber. It would be a worthwhile debate with the Taoiseach. Many of the citizen delegates at the convention felt a second Constitutional Convention could and should be put in place to deal with a range of outstanding issues that the convention was unable to deal with.

I refer to the Garda whistleblowers and the issues that will not be resolved unless there is a full, independent inquiry.

The Taoiseach has had in his possession for almost a week a dossier from the Garda whistleblower, Sergeant Maurice McCabe. By his admission, the Taoiseach has indicated this raises very serious policing and justice issues. It has also been stated that the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, was aware of this dossier and these allegations and cases for over two years but failed to act. I must go against the grain with respect to the comments made by the Government Senators that the appointment of a barrister to examine these claims is the appropriate way to do this. I do not believe so. This is the Government circling the wagons, protecting its Minister first and foremost rather than the public good or confidence in the Garda Síochána and the Department of Justice and Equality. The only credible way to proceed is a full independent inquiry allowed for under the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004.

Whatever about the issue of full or partial independent inquiries, the Garda whistleblowers were wronged in the first instance by the Minister for Justice and Equality when he stated in the Dáil that they were not co-operating with inquiries; that was not the case. They were also wronged by the Garda Commissioner when he used the word "disgusting" with regard to their activities and coming before Oireachtas committees. That is despite the fact we now know they were invited before Oireachtas committees by the Department of Justice and Equality. The whistleblowers were wronged by the Garda Commissioner because of that and other comments, and by the Minister for Justice and Equality, so both should apologise. If the public is to have continued faith in the justice system and An Garda Síochána, there must be a full independent inquiry and no half-measures will suffice.

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