Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House, and on behalf of the Labour Party we want to support the establishment of the tribunal of inquiry and the terms of reference as laid down. We have had a turbulent week and it gives myself and my party, considering our position in opposition, absolutely no satisfaction whatsoever to see what has happened in recent days. An Garda Síochána is again in the midst of a huge controversy. Tusla has been dragged into it as well. Public confidence in an Garda Síochána has been shaken to the core. I made this point last night but I will repeat it in the Tánaiste's presence. That the public could feel, on any level at all, that if they see a wrong or stand up against an injustice within the organisation or the entity in which they work that they could be taken down with the most vile accusation put against their name is unacceptable.

It would be easy for an Opposition party like Labour to say that this has been rushed and that we do not agree with it, that not enough time was put into the terms of reference - clearly that was done - or to reject what has been done. We are not going to do that. Not only has what has happened shaken the public's confidence in An Garda Síochána and Tusla, the Tánaiste's and the Taoiseach's presentations of events over the last week are just not credible. It gives me absolutely no satisfaction to say that but, unfortunately, it is the reality.

Like many people in this House, I have family members in the Garda. It is a fine force and deserves to have the support of the public. However, we cannot go through a situation where a culture of defensiveness creeps in. A young garda who has joined the force and who is putting his or her body on the line in the defence of the public, needs to know that he or she has the absolute trust and confidence of the people. That is necessary because the type of accusation that has been made about the culture within the force hurts them. Many in this House will be aware of the various dark arts that are sometimes employed by members of An Garda Síochána. The dark arts are not exclusive to the force. There are people in this House who know all about the dark arts, as do other entities and organisations in this country as well. The confidence of the people in the police force is absolutely central to a functioning democracy. I trust and hope that this tribunal will help us recover that.

I want to ask the Tánaiste a straight question which she did not answer this afternoon when my party leader, Deputy Howlin, asked it. Can the Tánaiste confirm to this House that she has already or will today issue a directive to the Garda Commissioner under section 25 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 to secure the preservation of all Garda records and equipment that may be relevant to this inquiry and to safeguard evidence? I ask that direct question because my colleague, Deputy Howlin, asked it earlier and did not receive a response.

This is a dark episode. It is not a matter with which anyone in my party wants to play politics but it is a depressing chapter in this Government's history. My honest view is that it will be seen in time to be the beginning of the end of this Administration. If one of the Tánaiste's final acts in her position is to establish this tribunal of inquiry and if, as a result of the work of that tribunal, the truth is found and faith restored in such crucial institutions of the State, then that will have been a good day's work.