Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 364: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his plans to investigate or otherwise inquire into whether there has been systematic Garda misconduct or incompetent Garda management in other parts of the State outside County Donegal. [23246/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The Deputy will be aware that the Garda Síochána Bill 2004, now at the final stage of its passage through the Oireachtas, provides inter alia for the establishment of a fully independent ombudsman commission, which will have wide powers to investigate complaints made against members of the Garda Síochána and a Garda inspectorate, the main functions of which will be to promote efficiency and effectiveness in the Garda Síochána and to ensure that the Minister and the Department have objective information and advice on matters relevant to the functioning of the force.

These and other provisions of the Bill, as passed by Dáil Éireann, including a duty of members to account for their actions or inaction and new powers of summary dismissal by the Commissioner, represent a comprehensive response to the findings of the two reports of the Morris tribunal with respect to Garda misconduct and mismanagement in the Donegal division. These new legislative provisions are, of course, designed to ensure that events of the kind that took place in Donegal cannot happen again — not only in Donegal but in any part of the State — and that any misconduct or mismanagement arising at any level in the force is swiftly identified and dealt with.