Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am always speaking in the House in support of the Garda and I have done so for many years. Last week, the Garda Commissioner appeared at the Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality. However, if this is how certain gardaí are going to treat us, leaking information and knowing the major damage that can be done by a whisper campaign - there were whispered messages around the House last week asking who it was and whether it was true - it is a most serious issue for the Garda Síochána.If that is the way some gardaí are going to do things, it is a most serious issue for the Garda Síochána. While I appreciate that a complaint has been submitted to GSOC, I emphasise that the Garda Commissioner, GSOC and the Minister for Justice and Equality must grab this issue by the scruff of neck immediately. This type of approach to matters that are not even under investigation is serious because it undermines the morale and confidence of people like us in our Garda Síochána. I am deeply ashamed of the person who leaked this story. We must not forget that he or she did so with malice aforethought. In supporting our gardaí, we must condemn those who stoop so low by doing injustice to one man or to society.