Martin Kenny
Question:82. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Justice the plans for adequate resourcing of frontline Gardaí in the context of the recent upsurge in burglaries and assaults. [8561/22]
View answerAn Garda Síochána
Questions (82, 84)
Martin Kenny
Question:84. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Justice her plans to fund crime prevention and safety measures for elderly and vulnerable persons. [8562/22]
View answerOral answers (10 contributions)
What plans is the Minister putting in place to resource front-line gardaí adequately in the context of the recent upsurge in burglaries and assaults? We have seen numerous incidents across the country, with elderly people being attacked in their homes. We have also seen many assaults on our streets and in our capital city, with people who are fearful to go out in public, especially after dark in many areas. Much of this is down to having enough resources to have community gardaí on the streets, on the beat and out in patrol cars in both rural and urban areas to ensure that people are protected.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 82 and 84 together. The Deputy focuses on rural issues in his question. I might address city centres, towns and villages in my second response. My thoughts are with the victims of the most recent horrific attacks. This happened in their own home. It should never happen to anybody. An Garda Síochána is conducting a criminal investigation. I hope the Deputy appreciates that I will not comment specifically on individual cases. However, I know that I speak for everyone in this House in condemning these senseless and cowardly attacks and the belief that the people responsible need to be brought to justice. We support the gardaí in their work in that regard. Although rare, incidents like these are terrifying not only for the victims themselves but for their families and the wider community. Home is the one place we should all feel safe in, and fear in one’s own home is something that can never be tolerated. I assure the Deputy that my Department is committed to ensuring we have strong, visible policing right across both rural and urban Ireland.
As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. As Minister, I have no role. I will outline much of the work that the Commissioner and his team are doing. This year’s winter phase of Operation Thor was launched by gardaí in October 2021 and is designed to tackle burglaries and associated criminal activities, which often increase in the darker winter months. They intend to do that through targeted enforcement and crime prevention activity and information. We all see that and work closely with our crime prevention officers in our own counties and constituencies. This annual focus from Operation Thor has proven highly successful in tackling property related crime since its inception in November 2015. Looking at the figures, in 2015, more than 18,800 residential burglaries were reported. By contrast, in 2021, just over 6,000 residential burglaries were reported, a reduction of over 66% or approximately 13,000 less residential burglaries. We have obviously seen a decrease with Covid in the last year, but we know that in the years before 2021, that number was also decreasing. I think we can attribute much of that to Operation Thor as well as the increased number of gardaí on the beat. While the Covid-19 pandemic was clearly a factor in some of this reduction, there has been a marked and consistent downward trend since Operation Thor was introduced.
The budget provided by Government to the Garda Commissioner continues to increase to unprecedented levels, with an allocation of more than €2 billion for 2022, which is an increase of one third compared with the funding in 2015. I hope that highlights how much of a priority investment in An Garda Síochána is. The recruitment of up to 800 additional gardaí opened last week, as well as recruitment for 400 Garda staff. This significant investment demonstrates our commitment to increasing the Garda workforce to enable the organisation to keep our communities safe. The Deputy will be aware of a recruitment competition that we opened last week. I thank the many people who highlighted this and the significant number of people who have come forward to express an interest in joining An Garda Síochána.
In addition to new recruits, the roll-out of the new Garda operational model will support the redeployment of gardaí from non-core duties to front-line policing across the country. The new model will see larger divisions with more resources, increased Garda visibility in communities, a wider range of locally-delivered policing services and a strong focus on community policing. It is the five divisional model. There will be one with a specific focus on community policing. I think Members can all appreciate, recognise and acknowledge how important it is to have community police officers and how much engagement they have with older communities to reassure and work with them to make sure that they can keep their homes safe.
Budget 2022 also allocated €12 million for investment in the Garda fleet, which is extremely important for rural Ireland. It means we have more high visibility policing in our towns and cities, as well as rural parts of the country. This continued investment is to ensure that An Garda Síochána has a more fit-for-purpose fleet and it can be mobile, visible and responsive on the roads. There are many small back roads in Ireland that we have to cover too.
I understand that it is a difficult task, particularly in rural areas, where there is a large geographic area that gardaí are trying to patrol to keep people safe. That said, the consensus that I get from the feedback from communities, and I am sure that other Deputies have the same experience, is that people feel vulnerable. When an incident such as this happens, it heightens that sense of vulnerability. I acknowledge that, in Ireland, we generally have safe communities. We need to say that too. People generally are safe and feel safe. The case of Tom Niland in Sligo was an extreme example. It worries and alarms people. They wonder what can happen next. They are fearful when they hear a car, when there is a knock on the door, or when anything like that happens. We have to ensure that we put measures in place to protect people in their homes. We also have to look for measures which will be greater deterrents and to have better detection to assist gardaí. One issue here is that the same people carry out many of these raids again and again. Gardaí do not seem to be able to get a grip on it in many cases.
I agree with the Deputy's comment that when something like this happens, particularly when an elderly person is living at home, there is fear about it. There is an onus on all of us to make sure that we do not exaggerate or create a greater fear. Something like this is rare. It is horrifying and terrible for the people it happens to and we need to make sure that those who perpetrate it are brought to justice. We also need to make sure that we speak to our communities, that older people do not feel vulnerable in their homes and that there is communication within An Garda Síochána in local areas to make sure that it links in with those who are vulnerable and living on their own.
In that regard, the more gardaí we have in our divisions and the more we have out policing, away from desk duties, the more they can engage with people on the ground. Again, since 2015, 800 gardaí have been freed up because of the introduction of civilian staff. That has been hugely successful. I have mentioned the figures. A reduction in the number of reports of burglaries to just over 6,000 last year is a significant reduction, and we can refer that back specifically to Operation Thor. There is always more we can do, however, and there is an onus on us as public representatives to reach out to our communities and to make sure that where there may be a lack of information or engagement on the ground, we play our part. I stress, however, that these incidents are rare. We need to make sure we do not create a fear out there because it is very difficult for those who are living on their own in particular.
I understand that but I turn to another side of this, which is the issue of people's trust in An Garda Síochána and trust that they will get a response when they look for one. I think of the incidents of assault we have seen recently. I am conscious of the case of Alanna Quinn Idris in Ballyfermot, which was probably one of the most extreme cases we have seen recently. There have been others in a similar vein. Many people, particularly those in urban areas, tell me there is great fear out there and that when they ring 999 they do not get an answer. That is, I think, one of the issues that has really frightened many people on another side of this issue. We know now, from some of the research that has been done, of a number of cases. In one case a woman was raped and was afraid the rapist would come back. She rang 999 and got no response. The seriousness of that incident and others like it is really damaging to people's confidence in An Garda Síochána and their confidence that the justice system will respond and work for them. There is a big job of work to be done to restore that confidence and to ensure not only that people will get responses to 999 calls but also that they feel that the Garda will be there for them when they need it and that they are not just an emergency service but a service to protect them all the time.
In response to the Deputy's last comment, I think that, more in the past two years, people have seen just how proactive An Garda Síochána is, including in responding to emergencies and crimes as they occur and in the proactivity with which it has responded through Covid-19, reaching out to communities and looking at domestic violence. It is a fact that An Garda Síochána actively went back to people who had been victims previously to make sure they were okay. It is very clear that the work the Garda does is not just responsive but proactive engagement.
I wish to reassure everybody that if they call 999 they will get a response. Issues arose that have clearly been highlighted in recent reports, and structures are being put in place to make sure that incidents involving callbacks and so on that occurred do not happen again.
To comment on the focus on towns and our city centres, Dublin alone, through Operation Citizen, has seen an increase of 500 garda hours per week on top of the gardaí who were already patrolling the streets at the weekend. We have more than 100 gardaí patrolling in that regard, and that is directly in response to concerns people have raised during Covid-19, when there were fewer people on the streets, people were more visible and assaults and other incidents may have been happening. In response to that, the Garda has responded very well. Of course, there will always be issues that arise but, in general, people need to have confidence in the Garda, and I genuinely believe they do.
I understand that, and there is general confidence that people will get a response in time, but that is shaken when incidents such as I have described happen. I am also aware that there has been an increase in muggings, particularly in the city centre after dark. A great many people out there, particularly women going home from work on these dark evenings, are very fearful and frightened and do not see gardaí standing on the street corner and do not see the patrols out as much as they would like to see them. That is a serious issue that needs to be dealt with.
The broader issue here is down to having more community gardaí on the beat and making sure that there is a quicker response time, that we have better detection, that we have better deterrents in place and that we have protection in place for people in their own homes. We also need to have protection for people travelling on public transport, which is another issue I have raised with the Minister before and which I keep hearing is one of the key problems people have when they are at a DART station, on the Luas or in places like that. They see people using and selling drugs. There is an aggressive atmosphere, and it is very fearsome for people. It is an area that really needs action.
In response to two specific points the Deputy has raised, in areas in certain parts of the city that people feel are less safe at night, there are particular operations in place. From 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. there are specific gardaí allocated along our boardwalks and in certain other areas where we know there has been an increase in recent times in assaults and where people, in particular women on their own, do not feel safe walking.
As for trains and our public transport, again, there has been a specific targeted response from An Garda Síochána. We have increased garda numbers, in particular at weekends. Unfortunately, that is mainly when these incidents occur but, obviously, they do not occur just at the weekends but at night as well. The Garda is responding to concerns that are being raised. I have said to the Deputy before that where issues persist or where the response is not strong enough, the Garda Commissioner is always willing to look at where he can expand and strengthen the work already being done. In general, however, the response is about more gardaí and greater visibility. The 800 additional gardaí we will have this year, on top of the 400 civilian gardaí, will open this up and allow more front-line gardaí out on the beat. There is also the investment in cars, bicycles and other types of equipment, which is extremely important in addressing many of the issues the Deputy has raised and in making sure that people not just are safe in our towns and villages but feel safe, because often part of the fear and the concern is that they do not feel safe.
I accept that much is being done, but the issue is that people's experience when an incident happens can often be quite negative and they do not feel that there is fast enough a response. They do not feel that the protection is there in their community for them. Going back to examples in rural Ireland, I have had cases in which people have told me they have rung the Garda where they have come home and discovered their house burgled and it has been hours before anybody arrived because the Garda was so busy, there were only three patrol cars in the area, all of them were away somewhere else and it took time to get those issues dealt with. At weekends, in some of our provincial towns, where we are reopening up the economy, including the night-time economy, there are stresses and serious pressure on the Garda to be there to provide an adequate service for everyone across the community.
The real issue of my question is adequate resourcing. Adequate resourcing is not just the number of gardaí; it is the equipment they have and their ability to respond quickly and to ensure they do a job that reassures people that we are going to get the delivery of a proper justice system.
To reassure the Deputy and colleagues again, an investment of more than €2 billion, an increase of a third in less than six years, shows the commitment that is there to An Garda Síochána. It represents more than 60% of my justice Vote in total, so, obviously, there is a huge amount of investment overall going into An Garda Síochána, in personnel, equipment, cars, bicycles and the types of IT they need. There will be significant investment made in IT over the years to come in order to make sure that the Garda is as modern as possible and is able, like the rest of us, to use the types of equipment and technology to do their work in a much quicker, a more efficient and a more effective way. Much of this is about gardaí on the ground and on the beat. I sincerely hope that in the year ahead we will be able to reach our target of 15,000, particularly with the 800 new recruits, a resource which has been opened up only in the past week.
Legislative Measures
Questions (83)
Paul Murphy
Question:83. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice if she will consider changing the law to make the expression of non-violent protest a defence against a charge of criminal damage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8734/22]
View answerOral answers (6 contributions)
Last week two climate change protestors, Orla and Zac, were up in court charged with criminal damage. Orla was alleged to have painted "No more empty promises" on Iveagh House and Zac was simply alleged to have filmed the incident, but they could both face years in prison for some paint on a building that was washed off in a couple of days. In the UK the Colston four were acquitted because the jury found that their actions in tearing down a statue of the notorious slave trader Edward Colston were justified. Should we have a similar defence available here?
I thank the Deputy for raising this important question. As he will be aware, the right to protest peacefully is enshrined in the Constitution and under the law. It is an essential part of our democracy. An Garda Síochána, through its human rights-led approach to policing, seeks to uphold and protect the right to freedom of assembly and protest while also upholding the law and protecting the public and businesses. Balancing the right to protest with protecting the public and upholding the rule of law is a complex task, and the Garda reviews its actions and responses in that regard regularly. I am assured by the Garda Commissioner that members of An Garda Síochána receive detailed training based on a "human rights first" approach to any protest.
This approach was acknowledged and commended by the Policing Authority over the course of its 16 reports on policing performance during the Covid-19 pandemic. This balance and emphasis on human rights is also reflected in the relevant statutes governing the right to protest and criminal damage, respectively the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 and the Criminal Damage Act 1991. There are no plans to amend the Criminal Damage Act to incorporate a defence of protest.
As the Deputy will be aware, the enforcement of the law, including governing protest and criminal damage, is a strictly operational matter for the Garda Commissioner. As Minister of State, I have no direct role in it. The decision to prosecute any member of the public for any crime is a matter for the Director of Public Prosecutions, who is independent in the exercise of her functions. As a Minister of State, I cannot comment on any decision made by the DPP. Once the DPP has decided to prosecute, the outcome of any such prosecution is decided by the courts, who are, subject only to the Constitution and the law, independent in the exercise of their functions.
As the Deputy will be fully aware, it is not appropriate for me to comment on any case that is before the courts.
Who are the criminals here when we look at the world hurtling towards climate disaster? Is it the big oil companies, those who want to burn $5 trillion of fossil fuels under the ground to maximise their profits at the expense of humanity and our planet? Is it the governments which know about and accept the science but choose to do precious little about it? Alternatively, is it those who speak out and say "No more empty promises"? They are the people who are being prosecuted. That is the choice that is being made. Aislinn O'Keefe, the ROSA activist in Limerick, is being prosecuted for allegedly organising a protest against gender-based violence at a time when 999 calls were being ignored by the gardaí in terms of domestic violence. What are the priorities of this State when it comes to balancing the rights the Minister of State talks about?
As the Deputy will agree, climate is the defining challenge of our time. In Ireland we are already experiencing the result of this through flooding, more extreme weather and rising sea levels. As the threats from climate change increase, so does the need for urgent action to address them. The Government recognises this and is taking ambitious climate action steps as necessary to ensure a sustainable future nationally and globally. The programme for Government commits to some of the strongest climate targets in the world and these have been legislated for in new climate legislation. The Government is creating and implementing policies and strategies to achieve its long-term goal of transitioning to a low carbon, climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable economy by 2050. The Government recognises the vital role of the public in addressing climate change and facilitates public engagement and participation, supporting citizens, businesses, communities and organisations in taking action.
As the Deputy is fully aware, I cannot comment on individual cases.
While the Minister of State cannot comment on individual cases, he or the Government could commit to changing the law to ensure that such prosecutions do not happen again. It is an incredible situation that public money is being spent to pursue two young climate activists who could face years in jail for allegedly painting a slogan on a building and filming it or, in the case of Aislinn O'Keefe, a fine for allegedly organising a socially distanced protest against gender-based violence. That is a question of political priority. The only conclusion I can draw is that the Government wants to be able to continue to make empty promises. That is all the Government has to do on climate change. The carbon budgets do not even meet the programme for Government commitments, never mind what the science demands, which is a lot more than that. Empty promises are all the Government has and, therefore, I salute those who take action and engage in civil disobedience to highlight that. They should not be criminalised for such action.
As the Deputy will be fully aware and as I have already stated, the right to protest peacefully is enshrined in the Constitution and protected. An Garda Síochána takes a human rights-led approach to any protest situation and seeks to uphold and protect the right of freedom of assembly and the right to protest. It also upholds the law and protects the public and businesses when such protests are being carried out. The balance is always struck but the primary protection is the Constitution. I cannot comment on any particular case.
Question No. 84 answered with Question No. 82.
An Garda Síochána
Questions (85)
Denis Naughten
Question:85. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Justice the plans to enhance policing in rural communities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8937/22]
View answerOral answers (6 contributions)
Recent media coverage of robberies, burglaries and assaults on women in rural areas creates widespread fear and insecurity, particularly for older people in rural areas. We can only provide reassurance when the gardaí are given the resources. I accept we cannot have a garda at every crossroads but we need a visible community policing presence across the country.
I thank the Deputy for raising this important question around enhancing policing in rural communities. I echo the words of the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and extend my best wishes to the victims and families of the recent horrific attacks. I hope that those responsible are brought to justice and made accountable for their actions.
A key pillar of Programme for Government: Our Shared Future is building stronger and safer communities. Prioritising visible policing in rural and urban communities will ensure community policing is at the forefront of our police service and an integral strand of our social contract with the public. I am conscious of the impact that serious crime can have on rural communities. I assure the Deputy that I am committed to ensuring there is strong, visible community policing across rural Ireland. That is why we have increased the funding allocated to An Garda Síochána year on year, with an unprecedented figure of more than €2 billion provided for in budget 2022. This funding will allow for recruitment of up to 800 new Garda members and an additional 400 new staff.
As of 31 January, there were 14,354 members of An Garda Síochána, an increase of 12% since the end of 2015. This year's recruitment will bring us close to the Government's target of 15,000 sworn Garda members. While I acknowledge there have been unavoidable decreases in certain areas as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the consistent increases in Garda numbers in recent years have led to a sustained strengthening of Garda presence on the ground in rural and urban areas across Ireland.
In addition to new recruits, the roll-out of the new Garda operating model will support the redeployment of gardaí from non-core duties to front-line policing across the country. The new model will see larger divisions with more resources, increased Garda visibility in communities, a wider range of locally delivered policing services and a strong focus on community policing.
As of 31 December 2021, 844 Garda members have been released from posts not requiring Garda powers or expertise and their duties reassigned to Garda staff. This has in turn facilitated the redeployment of Garda members to operational duties. The civilianisation and redeployment process will continue this year and the Commissioner has indicated a target of an additional 170 redeployments for 2022.
I welcome the fact that 800 new gardaí will be recruited. How many of these will end up in Roscommon, Longford, and Mayo? As I raised with the Minister for Justice before Christmas, we have had occasions when in half of County Roscommon only one member of An Garda Síochána has been policing an area from Ballyleague on the Longford border to Ballinasloe on the Galway border. In the past three years, 25 gardaí have left that district through promotion, transfer or retirement and not one has been replaced. This situation is replicated in Castlerea district, County Longford and across County Mayo. From Lough Gowna to Blacksod Bay we see it replicated and we do not have the resources within the operational units of An Garda Síochána in this large division.
As of 31 January 2022, the latest date for which figures are available, 298 Garda members were assigned to the Roscommon-Longford division, of whom 92 were assigned to the Longford district. These figures represent an increase of more than 2% in the Roscommon-Longford division since December 2015 and an increase of almost 10% for the Longford district in the same period. Garda members in the division are supported by 44 Garda staff, which is an increase of more than 69% since the end of 2015, when there were 26 Garda staff assigned to the division. Additional Garda staff allow existing gardaí to be redeployed on the ground. The dispersal of An Garda Síochána throughout the country is a matter for the Garda Commissioner and the relevant chief superintendents.
The Garda units in the districts across this large division have gone from units of seven and eight members to units of three and four members. We have had instances where only one member of An Garda Síochána has been available for a large district.
That is the reality and that is what is happening on the ground.
The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice and Equality produced a report in 2019 which examined rural policing. One of the recommendations made was that a dedicated officer be assigned as an initial point of contact for each rural community. It would complement the recommendation of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland in its 2018 report concerning district community policing. What efforts are being made to implement that recommendation? If communities at least had a named individual who could be contacted, that would help to provide some level of reassurance.
The recommendations continue to be under review. The new divisional model will also be implementing a significant number of those recommendations. Again, however, the deployment of the members of An Garda Síochána, whether they are designated as community gardaí and where they are assigned within a division is an operational matter for the chief superintendent.
An Garda Síochána
Questions (86)
Thomas Pringle
Question:86. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice if she will initiate an independent public inquiry into the activities and methods used by the so-called "Heavy Gang" of An Garda Síochána; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8936/22]
View answerOral answers (6 contributions)
This question concerns the activities of the so-called "Heavy Gang" throughout the 1970s and 1980s. This matter was highlighted recently in the RTÉ series "Crimes & Confessions". I refer to the impact this is having. There is a need for a public inquiry to ensure that what happened can be brought to light and changes implemented to ensure that it never happens again.
I am conscious that all the families impacted by the incidents seen by many of us in the recent RTÉ series have had to revisit issues that happened in the past. It has impacted them, and they have suffered over the years because of the way in which those investigations were conducted. Such incidents cast a shadow over the trust we place in our criminal justice and policing systems to ensure justice is done. It is important to note, however, that these investigations happened several decades ago and the safeguards available then to those who were the subjects of investigation were very different to those in place now.
It was following the work of the Ó Briain and Martin committees that the Criminal Justice Act 1984, which regulates the treatment of persons in custody, the Garda Síochána (Complaints) Act 1986 and the Criminal Procedure Act 1993, concerning a new system of appeal based on miscarriage of justice, were introduced. The available safeguards were further strengthened in the years that followed. Since 2015, An Garda Síochána has had a code of conduct. This is signed by all members and forms the core of their commitments in respect of behaviour and standards. The Commissioner is completely committed to upholding the highest standards in our policing service. The Protected Disclosure Act 2014 provides legal protections for anyone aware of wrongdoing who speaks up. A protected disclosure policy is in place in An Garda Síochána which is designed to ensure that any member who raises issues will be fully supported and that all Garda members know they have the right and responsibility to raise their concerns and be confident they will be listened to and that those concerns will be addressed.
We have a robust system of Garda oversight in place, including the introduction of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC, which was established in 2005. My Department is in the process of further strengthening our oversight structures through the policing, security and community safety Bill. The legislation is intended to implement the recommendations of the report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland, the first principle of which is that human rights are the foundation and purpose of policing. The Bill will include an expanded remit for the Ombudsman and the establishment of a new policing and community safety authority, which will be provided with extra inspection powers and greater independence. Governance within An Garda Síochána will also be enhanced by the Bill.
I thank the Minister for her reply. She has outlined a raft of information there and, on paper, everything looks good. While the activities of the Garda in the 1980s may be historical, the impacts have fed through to the modern day. We have cases particularly relating to Donegal in this regard. There must be an examination of how these activities have influenced the Garda all the way through. We must open this up. If everything has changed in the way the Minister has said it has, then that will stand up through an inquiry and be vindicated.
It is important that we highlight this matter. Apart from anything, how can we hold other countries to account for what they are doing and raise issues of this kind through the Council of Europe, for example, when we have this legacy hanging over our selves and this State? Equally, in the North, we are talking about measures that must be enacted there in respect of how the Royal Ulster Constabulary, RUC, behaved when we have this matter hanging over us. We must come clean on this issue.
There is no doubt but that the alleged practices, which were detailed once again in the recent programme, were unacceptable at the time and they certainly would not be tolerated today. I know and understand the impact this has had and the deep hurt it has caused to many different families that were represented, and this aspect was highlighted in the series. Several of the investigations themselves have previously been the subject of court proceedings, pardons and State apologies. In addition, there have been associated compensation schemes. Therefore, a great deal of work has been done to try to respond to the miscarriages of justice that have occurred and the hurt that has been caused. It is important to remember as well that Garda actions are under way concerning some of the cases we are talking about in this context, so I do not think it would be appropriate to take any action which might possibly impact on the work that is ongoing. I acknowledge and stress again that the details of the methods used in the cases in question are disturbing. Taking all the current circumstances into account, however, I do not think that the establishment of a public inquiry into these matters would serve a useful purpose.
I must disagree with the Minister there, because I think it would serve a useful purpose. The Minister in her response said that the activities were not agreed with at the time. That is not actually true. They were agreed with and a blind eye was turned to them. The crux of the problem here is that not only the Garda but the State, the Government and everybody else turned a blind eye to these activities and allowed them to continue. Free rein was given to the Garda to allow that to happen. If nothing else were to result, hopefully an investigation and inquiry would ensure that nothing like this happens again in future. I say that because I believe the potential is still there for it to happen and that is the crux of the problem. We must address this situation and ensure there is no potential in this regard. Only by admitting the mistakes of the past, coming to terms with them, admitting we did this wrong and that we failed and must not do this again, can we be sure of it not happening again. There are still people alive who are suffering because of what has happened in these cases and that needs to be acknowledged formally as well.
The many things I outlined in my initial response, including the new laws that have been put in place, the new policies and the new code of conduct to ensure that we hold An Garda Síochána to the highest standards, all acknowledge that work needed to be done in this regard. I must again stress that we have a robust system in place now. Those who are wrongly accused suffered greatly. Equally, victims were involved here and families who, unfortunately, did not get justice, and they continue to suffer too. We must be conscious of that aspect as well. Many things have happened in recent times. I again stress that we have had court proceedings, pardons, State apologies and compensation schemes. Garda actions are also ongoing concerning some of those cases raised in the programme. In saying all that, I do not think that a public inquiry is going to change this. I am not sure if it would bring the justice that some of the families are seeking and that they would like to get. To respond to the larger question, much work has been done to ensure that there is confidence in An Garda Síochána and that the members of the force uphold the highest standards.