Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House in a week that has not been easy for him. However, there are no easy weeks when one is Minister for Justice and Equality and it has, in many ways, been just another week. The circular was circulated and it could be said that whoever was responsible for that jumped the gun because if he or she had done more research, he or she would have realised that the problem, if there was one and I doubt there was, happens every year in December and was absolutely going to be resolved because the situation would not be tolerated.

As regards the allocation of overtime, the Minister has gone through the increased moneys for Garda overtime every year but the responsibility of how overtime is allocated is a responsibility for the acting Garda Commissioner and the senior management team in Garda headquarters. If the Minister was directing how and where money should be spent on overtime, there would be a completely different narrative in the House. It would be very inappropriate for the Minister to have any hand, act or part in directing the Garda on the operational allocation of overtime.

The most worrying aspect is that the document was leaked, which should not have happened. The leak was inappropriate and was an attempt to frighten communities and cause some sort of consternation. It was highly irresponsible because, as we know, it was just a certain procedure that happens in the run-up to Christmas. We need to consider the issue in its totality and be realistic and reasonable. No division of the Garda Síochána was going to be left without overtime and in my view, although I am not based in Garda headquarters, the circular was very premature.