Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I want to support Senator Ned O'Sullivan's request for an engagement with the Minister for Justice and Equality around the whole issue of probate. There is another issue on which we should ask the Minister for her response. When there is a documentary alleging political interference, however long ago, in an investigation into a missing child, and when not one but two retired gardaí say the chief suspect could have been prosecuted were it not for a phone call from a politician being made to a Garda station, which they say effectively stymied their ability to investigate the case, then we have a matter on which the Government needs to make a very considered response.

People will have seen reported in The Irish Timesand elsewhere the fact that journalist Gemma O'Doherty has produced a documentary about the investigation into the missing child, Mary Boyle, which is the issue to which I am referring. I see it reported that Ms O'Doherty is preparing a legal action to take to the European Court of Human Rights alleging malpractice by the Garda Síochána and by the Government. What I want to know is what the Government now thinks about that documentary and what it has to say. To what can we have recourse when such serious allegations are made by some of the gardaí involved in the case? Is it something we can just let go by because the events took place long ago or is it something that demands a serious, considered response from us?

I suggest the Minister for Justice and Equality should urgently address this matter. The journalist involved is very reputable and has been at the cutting edge before when asking questions. I drew attention in this House to her very impressive journalism around irresponsible and dangerous behaviour by some pregnancy counselling clinics, an issue we found very hard to get into the media generally but which the Irish Independent, to its credit, did cover. Now, she is again asking some very hard questions and her very good work deserves a serious response.

I commend Senator Frances Black and others who were involved in the briefing this morning, which I was unable to attend but which I got to at the end, in regard to the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill. It is clear there are some very good measures in the Bill around the marketing of alcohol in particular. When one considers the worrying statistic to which Alcohol Action drew our attention today, namely, that an estimated 271,000 children under 15 years of age are living with parents who are regular risky drinkers, we can see this is a huge issue. We need this legislation soon but we also need legislation that is much more courageous than what is proposed. We need to bite the bullet-----