Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House.I also welcome the fact that we are now proceeding with this matter. Trust and credibility are two words that have consistently come up in all the debate and discussion in recent months. For the Garda to work efficiently, the general public must have trust in it and the force must be credible. I am of the view that it has been affected by all of the issues that have arisen over the past few months. The Minister and the Government are correct in that it should be a public tribunal and that all of the issues are dealt with appropriately and that it does not resurrect again once this matter is finalised. An Garda Síochána, set up in 1922, has served this country well. It is important that we have the structures in place to ensure full transparency at all times regarding how its affairs are managed and how the ordinary members of the force are treated. There are many questions that must be answered.

It is appropriate that an interim report be produced within three months. I agree with Senator McDowell concerning the short timeframe, and that to get set up and running will take at least three to four weeks. It is going to be a tight timeline to come back with an interim report, but at least, under the terms of reference, a broad outline of the expected length of the entire process is to be given. That is helpful. It is important that it is finished in the shortest possible timeframe.

One of the issues here is that everyone is innocent until proven otherwise, and there may be criminal proceedings after this has concluded. We do not want the inquiry to turn into a legal wrangle that continues ad infinitum. It is important that we do not have a situation were someone can go off to the High Court for a judicial review or in some way or another delay proceedings. There must be fairness and openness in the way it is dealt with at all times. The person we have appointed is the appropriate person. He has a well-established record. It is important for this country, for whoever is in Government, and for the Garda that we have a force that everyone can trust, whether one is working in the Garda or whether one is an ordinary citizen. The issue of trust is extremely important for maintaining law and order in this country. I welcome the Minister to the House and appreciate that she is here with us this evening.