Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I also express my deep sadness at the passing of my very good friend, Nicky McFadden. She was a friend of mine for many years before she was a Member of this House. I have greatly admired her courage in the past two years as all of us have. I pass on my sympathies to her family, her sister, Councillor Gabrielle McFadden, her children, her grandchildren, her aunt and her staff, including Una Mulhall, who worked here with Nicky. It is a very difficult day for them because they lost their leader. I look forward to contributing more when we have the formal tributes in due course.

I agree with much of what Senator O'Donovan has said about the morale in An Garda Síochána. The systematic recording of conversations is deeply troubling. Any fair-minded person would expect 999 phone calls to be recorded. However, the systematic recording of telephone conversations is deeply troubling and may have significant consequences for the judicial process. Is it the case that telephone conversations between accused people and their solicitors have been recorded? One would worry about the whole presumption of being innocent until proven guilty. However, this has been going on for 30 years and at least 13 Ministers have presided over the Department of Justice and Equality over those years.

We need to take a step back and allow the commission of investigation the Cabinet established yesterday to do its job. Serious questions remain to be answered by the Minister for Justice and Equality and many of his predecessors, and also by many previous Garda Commissioners. The best we can do is to allow the commission of investigation to complete its job and encourage all parties, including former Ministers, if necessary, to assist and co-operate with the commission. This has the potential to be the most serious matter ever to hit our system of justice, depending on how it is handled, and the gravity and seriousness of the telephone calls recorded and the people who were listening.

We have heard of the abuse of the PULSE system. I want to know who has been listening to these telephone conversations. A serious job of work remains to be done. The commission needs to be established and start its work as a matter of urgency.