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Seanad
‹ Order of Business

Garda confidence crisis

Summary

Senators raised the R116 tragedy, public shock at Garda failures, and the collapse in confidence caused by false breath-test and conviction errors. Senator Humphreys sought an amendment to bring the Justice Minister to the House, and clarified that it covered both the drink-driving claims and the 14,700 errors.

I extend my sympathy and that of the Sinn Féin Party to the families of Captain Mark Duffy and Captain Dara Fitzpatrick. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anam dílis. I commend the continuing efforts of all those involved in the recovery of R116 to reunite Paul Ormsby and Ciarán Smith with their families. I hope that will happen before too long. I am proud of my local community in Blacksod Bay on the Erris Peninsula for their hard work and solidarity with the families of the crew of R116 in the past 14 days.

This week there has been yet another dent in public confidence in An Garda Síochána. People are completely bamboozled by how the figures for breath tests could have been exaggerated by 937,000 and how 14,700 people could have been wrongfully convicted of motoring offences. If this was a one-off systems failure that could be dealt with in an efficient and transparent manner to reassure the public and restore confidence, we could live with it, but the fact that the Garda Commissioner is already at the centre of the Charleton inquiry and had knowledge of the latest debacle since 2014 is utterly unacceptable. Sinn Féin, through Deputy Jonathan O'Brien, has made several attempts to strengthen the powers of the Policing Authority, but it has been blocked by both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. I am ask the Leader, as a matter of urgency, to invite the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to make a statement to the House in order that we can hear first-hand why she is refusing to implement section 11 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 and why she thinks it is acceptable that the person in charge is not accountable. How much more does the integrity of An Garda Síochána need to be eroded before a change in leadership is necessary? It is absolutely urgent that the Minister come before the House to explain why she is taking a hands-off role in the latest debacle. We know that there will be many more debacles.

Comment on this

Everybody in the House is in a state of shock and amazement at what is happening in An Garda Síochána. There is a substantial crisis of public confidence. We have listened to commentators say it was carelessness or a systems failure and give many other excuses. What we have is a management failure. I am seeking to amend the Order of Business to have the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality called into the House to make a statement and take questions on the issue. In my mind are the 14,700 citizens who were not believed when they appeared before the courts. We have all read in local newspapers about people who said they never received notification and were never written to. The court system told them that they were telling lies.

Comment on this
David P.B. Norris Senator David Norris Independent

I have been breathalysed 1 million times.

Comment on this

It is not good enough to let it drift on and not to have a statement made in the House. I call on Senators to support the Labour Party's proposal that the Order of Business be amended to enable the Minister to come into the House to make a statement and take questions. That is the least we should do. There is an onus on us to do this for the public and the citizens who have been accused and been called liars in the courts. They probably made fools of the judges also. I ask the Leader to accept the amendment proposed to the Order of Business to ensure the Minister will come to the House today to take questions from Senators.

It is the least the citizens of this country deserve.

Comment on this
Denis O'Donovan An Cathaoirleach Fianna Fáil

I would like to clarify whether the Senator's amendment encompasses both matters - the exaggerated drink-driving claims and the 14,700 errors.

Comment on this

It does, indeed. The 14,700 errors and the almost 1 million falsified breathalyser tests.

Comment on this