Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

For most of us growing up, watching the Artane boy's band march in Croke Park on All-Ireland final day was something of great joy. However, for a number of people the Artane Boy's Band, its title, uniform, and everything about it conjures up nothing but memories of the abuse and butchery that took place in the Artane Industrial School. Councillor Mannix Flynn has managed to get a motion passed by Dublin City Council calling on the band to change its name and uniform and the House should support that call. The band has changed drastically from the one that existed back then but the uniform and the name are there to haunt those who suffered in that institution. It is really important that we would support Councillor Flynn and Dublin City Council.

The second issue I wish to raise is the appointment of the head of intelligence in An Garda Síochána. I am delighted that the Leader has taken exactly the same approach to this issue as I have taken. It is outrageous to consider a foreigner being appointed to this position. From what I understand, no current member of An Garda Síochána has applied for the position of head of intelligence in Ireland. We are unique in this county in that our police and our intelligence services are both under the same organisation, An Garda Síochána. We really have to stop the process until Irish citizens can apply for that position, something which is in the hands of the Government and the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform with respect to pensions.It is unthinkable that in any democracy, the intelligence of the State would be handed over to a non-citizen. A suggestion was made here that an Irish person headed up MI5. That is incorrect. A person of Irish origin who was a British subject headed up MI5. That is a vastly different thing. This is not something trivial. This is handing over the keys of the intelligence of the State to a foreigner who may or may not have access to other intelligence services around the world. That is unacceptable in any democracy. I ask the Acting Leader to make contact with the Taoiseach and with the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, and stop this farce. This just cannot go ahead. We are the laughing stock of the world that we would even consider such a thing to happen today. I was accused of racism and I hope that those who accused me will apologise to me on the floor of this House, because it was not a racist comment. It was a perfectly natural thing to speak about. Nationhood versus racism are two very different things.