In reacting to the arrests last week, arising from the protest in Jobstown, the Taoiseach stated the matter was entirely one for the Garda, which is completely independent of the Government. Will he expand on this view in the light of the arrests over seven days of residents of Tallaght? The Government is not totally separate from the Garda or, for that matter, the Judiciary. It hires and can effectively fire the Garda Commissioner, for example. Would it not be amazing if the Garda was making independent decisions to devote such a high level of resources to dealing with one protest and the water charges generally? Is it not worrying that the Garda has such powers of decision making without any democratic control by elected representatives?

The Anti-Austerity Alliance does not believe there is a paper trail somewhere linking the Government with the current actions being taken by the Garda. That is a highly unlikely scenario. The point of political policing, however, is that the Garda is operating in a political fashion that benefits the Government. For example, the Taoiseach and the Garda Commissioner hold similar views on protests. Last November the Taoiseach stated in the House that protestors in Jobstown had acted "like hounds after a fox," thereby depicting them as wild savages rather than people who were livid following six years of austerity. The Garda Commissioner, Ms Nóirín O'Sullivan, described some of the protests against water charges as unacceptable in "tone and sentiment."

I received a letter from a garda following my contribution last week.

The Deputy's time has concluded.

I will read a short segment which describes how he feels about being asked to intervene in the water charges issue. He states:

What is really bringing the Gardaí into disrepute is not the water charge protesters, but the government that is using us against them.  As a Garda, I am to prevent protesting the installation of water meters, but as a worker, I am not paying when the bills drop in April. An Garda Síochána is paying a heavy price for their role in the introduction of the water tax.  We are losing credibility with the ordinary man and woman. Successive governments have long since willed the Gardai of our country to be protectors of corporate Ireland and their vested interests at the expense of workers.

Is this garda not right? Are the Garda and the courts not being used to defend corporate interests and the establishment, as we see in the anti-water charge protests and have seen in the cases of the Greyhound and Thomas Cook workers, Rossport and many other circumstances? How else could one describe the current policing of communities which are protesting against the installation of water meters that do not benefit them, that only benefit companies, including some which are owned by the richest man in Ireland, Mr. Denis O'Brien?

I reject the Deputy's charge that the Garda is operating on the basis of political direction. That is outrageous. Gardaí operate on the directions of the Garda Commissioner who runs the day-to-day operations of the Garda. In that context, they do not operate to any mandate from any Government and cannot do so.

The Deputy referred to water charge protests and the Anti-Austerity Alliance. I am not sure whether she believes it is appropriate that somebody should not be allowed to get out of a car for more than two hours and be prevented from moving. She has referred to protests that have been taking place for many years in Ross Dumhach. I do not know if she was ever there, but most of those who were protesting were not from the locality or region and, in many cases, not from this country. To say the Garda is operating in a political fashion is completely without basis, false and untrue and the Deputy knows better.

I do not know to which gardaí the Deputy has been speaking or which garda has written to her. If she wishes to publish the letter of the garda in question, we will be happy to see what he has to say. I find it strange, however, that workers who go about the legitimate business of installing water meters which are a measure in reducing water consumption and, therefore, for beating the cap are being told within 30 minutes of their arrival by some of the Anti-Austerity Alliance people who they are, where they live and that they should be very careful. I find that quite sinister.

That is not true.

I completely reject the Taoiseach's comments. Not all of the approximately 350 groups protesting against the water charges come under the auspices of the Anti-Austerity Alliance. Ongoing commentary in the media and sections of the establishment suggests the protest in Jobstown went beyond the Pale, perhaps because the Tánaiste is female or because she was delayed for two hours.

Perhaps it is because what happened was wrong.

Is it not understandable the protests have taken on a different character from previous ones, given what people have endured for six long years?

That does not make it all right.

I refer, in particular, to what has been done in communities such as west Tallaght where I worked as a teacher for 11 years.

This is Question Time and the Deputy must put a question.

The cuts made by the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection hit child benefit, the lone parent allowance, rent supplement and a whole host of other areas.

Does that make it okay to abuse people?

It may explain the reason people are so angry.

Does it make it okay to abuse people?

I ask the Deputy to put a question. She is over time.

Deputy Ruth Coppinger is being interrupted by Deputy John Lyons.

The Deputy should mind his own business for one moment and allow Deputy Ruth Coppinger to conclude.

The Taoiseach may wish to consider the deployment of Garda resources in parts of County Mayo.

The Deputy is over time.

I did not get a chance to speak.

The Deputy should not give me that stuff.

She is making the same speech she made last Thursday.

I will handle this matter. Deputy Ruth Coppinger should ask a supplementary question.