This matter is important and sufficiently urgent to be aired on the floor of the House this evening. Garda sources in Cork last evening disclosed that members of the Force carrying out an investigation into serious crime had been intimidated by organised gangs in Cork. I believe this intimidation is also being carried out in other parts of the country. While the gardaí, no doubt, are trained to withstand some type of coercion or intimidation this is unacceptable behaviour and the full weight of the law and the courts must be brought into play to enable the custodians of the law to carry out their duties in a manner which is necessary for any democracy to survive.
An attack on the Garda is an attack indirectly on this House where the laws and regulations that govern our society are made. It is vitally important that that point be spelt out to those who endeavour to take the law into their own hands and actually damage Garda property such as cars, smash their windows, pour paint on their walls and so forth. At one stage the houses of two gardaí were fire bombed. This type of action must be condemned outright for what it is. The godfathers of crime see their place in society threatened by the forces of law and will take any action necessary to safeguard themselves, their gangs and their illgotten gains.
I am aware that the Minister for Justice recently indicated that he would be taking the names and addresses of the Garda off the postal register, but that is only a temporary method of trying to safeguard the Garda who are in the front line in the fight against crime. Much more must be done, whether by legislation or otherwise. The Garda must be seen to have the full force of this House behind them. The most serious aspect of this intimidation is not so much the attack on the gardaí but rather the attack on witnesses. If the Garda can be attacked and intimidated in investigating crime, then that is only the tip of the iceberg. In any case coming before the courts there must be a very large number of witnesses who can be very easily intimidated. People who would do that would stop at nothing to protect their position and not to be taken to court.
Where the property of the Garda is attacked and where they have to replace some of their property, such as a car, windows, or their insurance policy, as the case may be, there should be some method of compensating them. I would ask the Minister to take a sympathetic view of that aspect. This House must go on the record and say, without fear of contradiction, that we will stand by the Garda who are enforcing the laws we have made in this House.
