Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House. I extend my sympathies to Lucia O'Farrell on the tragic death of her son, Shane, who should not have tragically died in the manner he did. It is clear that issues arise that were totally wrong and should not have happened. It is just not acceptable to have someone out on bail with multiple convictions who was allowed to drive a car and to cause this horrific tragedy.

I listened carefully to what the Minister said in his address. The matter is with GSOC and it has yet to report on it. When GSOC does report on the matter and if it is then deemed necessary to carry out further investigations or to have a commission of investigation I have no doubt the Minister will do that. It is appropriate at this stage to allow GSOC to do the job it has to do.

Only half an hour ago we spoke about the appointment of Patrick Sullivan to GSOC, somebody with a wealth of experience from the United States. He has worked with the FBI and the US Secret Service. He has a breadth of knowledge and now he has taken up a position with GSOC. There are people in GSOC who are very capable and very competent. I believe that the appropriate course of action at this stage is to allow GSOC to complete its report. Depending on what is in the report, if further steps have to be taken at that stage it is incumbent on everybody to do so, but we must allow GSOC to do the job it is charged with doing. It is a pointless exercise to have GSOC if we do not let it do the job it is charged with doing. It is easy to stand up and demand a commission of investigation and in many ways it is very hard to argue against it, but at the same time one must balance one's approach with the recognition of the professionalism of GSOC and the fact that it is in the process of investigating the matter and carrying out a report on it. The appropriate thing to do is to allow GSOC to get on with its work.

It cannot be said often enough that this is a terrible tragedy. A family has lost a loved one. None of us can understand the trauma involved in that. I offer my condolences and those of the House to the O'Farrell family.