I rise today to ask the Taoiseach on my behalf and that of my colleagues in the Rural Independent Group to please intervene in the situation pertaining to An Garda Síochána, the Garda Representative Association, GRA, and the Garda Commissioner. As we know, there was an unprecedented vote, with 99% of GRA members voting no confidence in the Garda Commissioner. There was a great flurry of activity and anxiety and angst in spite of the fact the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, said she had full confidence in the Garda Commissioner, as had the Government. Intensive efforts were made last weekend by senior members of the GRA and senior officials at, I believe, assistant commissioner level to try to resolve this issue of the extra roster being introduced. The Garda Commissioner said last November that he did not have enough members to reintroduce it. That was a great effort and there was great hope. The GRA met the Garda Commissioner yesterday. He just closed the book on them and dismissed any meaningful discussions, which will not be happening. The fifth roster is coming back in on 6 November. The GRA is meeting in emergency session this morning and we are facing a crisis.

I remember the Garda Síochána blue 'flu in 1998, and we do not want that again. Gardaí have to act and I and the Rural Independent Group have full confidence in An Garda Síochána but we have absolutely no confidence in a Garda Commissioner who seems to be out of touch and arrogant and who is not listening to even his senior officers. We have a dilemma here and either the Government intervenes-----

The Deputy is making accusations against somebody who is not in the House and not in a position to defend-----

I am not accusing him.

The Deputy is losing time there.

Unfortunately, I am just stating a fact. When these talks were going on last weekend, where was the Commissioner? He was at the rugby match in France. We think he has no interest in his members. I plead with him to give resources to gardaí in Tipperary, so they can defend themselves and the public. Goodness knows, the community in Clonmel want to thank the Government and everybody involved but especially the gardaí on the way they supported the families following the tragic incident in which four young lives were lost. I met them at the month's mind mass for one of the girls last Sunday. We think of the way the gardaí rallied around and of the unfortunate gardaí who came on the scene first. They mind us all, and we saw last week how they mind us in this House. There is a thin blue line, however, between public order and what the gardaí stand for, and we must support them.

We must have a Commissioner who supports, respects and will listen. Some 99% is an unbelievable figure and it is the almost unanimous view of the rank and file members. We meet them every day and they look after communities and we expect them to do so. We compliment them on the drug seizure yesterday but only for them where would we be? They are not being respected by the Commissioner; it is as simple as that. We face a huge crisis with this Commissioner but the Minister for Justice just blandly says she supports him any which way.

Efforts were made last weekend, which we all appealed for, and we were hopeful that the introduction of this roster would be delayed until we had more talks and time for respectful negotiations. The Commissioner then just closed the book on it yesterday. He was at the rugby match when they were trying to sort it out and this is what happened. The GRA is meeting today in emergency session and we could have some kind of industrial action. We do not want that and cannot afford it because gardaí are under too much pressure on the ground as it is.

I am loathe to comment on any Member's contribution but I believe we are being unnecessarily harsh. I know this matter is in the public arena and is being discussed but it is inappropriate for us to personally criticise the Commissioner or any public official in that way.

The Ceann Comhairle is right.

I call An Taoiseach to respond now, please.

I thank the Ceann Comhairle. At the outset I want to say that I support the gardaí and the work they are doing. In particular today, I want to commend the phenomenal work done by An Garda, the Defence Forces, the Revenue Commissioners and the customs service in interdicting a vessel off Wexford which may be the biggest interdiction of illegal drugs in Irish history. That would not have happened without An Garda, the Defence Forces, the Revenue Commissioners and, indeed, international partners. This is an example of the kind of work they are doing.

I support the Garda Commissioner who was appointed and reappointed by the Government and who, of course, has our support. It is worth pointing out that there have been lots of talks and negotiations on the roster. In fact, the Commissioner extended the temporary Covid roster 13 times while seeking a resolution and an agreement on it. The only way to resolve differences is through talking and engagement and if it cannot be sorted out bilaterally - sometimes these things cannot be sorted out bilaterally between unions and management - it goes to the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, or to the Labour Court. The gardaí fought very hard for the right to go to the WRC or to the Labour Court. That is what should happen. That is how disputes across the public and private sectors are resolved all of the time and it seems the logical thing that should happen. There should be short focused talks at the WRC resulting in agreement which will then be put to members to ballot upon. I believe that is possible in the timeframe that is left.

I note the Ceann Comhairle's concerns but 99% of the Garda members do not have confidence in the Commissioner. Its members are contacting every Member, including, I am sure, those on the Government side. It is a crazy situation where the Government is going to give a blank cheque to this Commissioner.

As I said, intense efforts were made by the GRA and senior people in the Department of Justice and An Garda over the weekend and late last week but the Commissioner just rubbished it. The attitude he has to the situation is what is causing the problem. One must sit down and talk, as the Taoiseach said, whether at the WRC or elsewhere. The gardaí must be supported but they feel they are not being supported. That is an overwhelming vote by any standards, which everybody knows. I am surprised more people are not raising the issue in this House because they were being contacted last night and this morning because of this situation.

We need the gardaí, we always support them and we want to continue to do so, but we cannot support the Commissioner if he will not engage meaningfully with his members, will not show respect and will not give them the resources to protect themselves and the public. That is not happening.

Members of the Government are comfortable and minded by gardaí but they do not seem to understand what is happening around the country and in the cities with violence, crime and attacks on people. Gardaí are always on the front line. We must sort this situation out and the Minister or the Taoiseach must intervene here.

That is a cheap shot. Just like him, we live in our communities and just like him we are of our communities and we know what is happening on the ground. Our constituents talk to us as much as they talk to him and none of us would be here and we would not have an elected mandate if we were not in touch with our constituents and with the people who vote for us.

As is always the case in any disagreement or dispute, there are two sides to every story and, often, the truth lies somewhere in between. There is a pathway to a resolution here. The Westmanstown roster, which is the only actual agreed roster in recent times, comes back into force in November. This is only the end of September and there is plenty of time over the course of the next couple of weeks for all sides to commit to focused dialogue and negotiations, ending in a recommendation from the WRC which can then be put to a vote. That is what I think should happen.

The man is not listening, however.