Vol. 560 No. 5
7 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he has received the report sought from the Garda Commissioner into the treatment of two persons (details supplied) arrested on Grafton Street in April 1998 who received an apology and undisclosed damages in a settlement announced in the High Court on 12 July 2002. [2915/03]
As I previously indicated, following the settlement of the case referred to in the High Court on 12 July 2002, I sought a full Garda report on the matter and the commissioner directed an examination of all aspects of the case. The commissioner has informed me that the review of this case by the Garda Síochána has been completed and has submitted to me a report on the matter covering the circumstances of the arrest of the persons concerned, the events at Pearse Street Garda station following their arrest, the follow-up investigation, the subsequent criminal proceedings and the final settlement of the civil proceedings. I only received that report this morning and I will need some time to consider it in a more detailed way before I make further comment on it.
This question concerns absolutely disgraceful events in which two young women were brutally assaulted by gardaí, then had a case taken against them by those gardaí counter-charging them with assault, which was dropped when it came to court. The case has been going on for four years and it is almost five years since the events took place. Thankfully the Minister sought a report from the Garda Commissioner last July. It is amazing it should take the Garda Commissioner until now to produce the report.
Will the Minister not agree it was wrong to allow the gardaí in question to continue their normal duties during this period of time? Why did that happen? When the Garda Commissioner appeared before the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights, he said he deals with allegations of Garda wrongdoing in exactly the same impartial fashion as every other citizen. However this does not seem to be the case. Will the Minister not agree—
In this House supplementary questions and answers are limited to one minute. The Deputy has exceeded his one minute.
Will the Minister not agree that in a case like this, the gardaí were out of control and felt they could act with impunity?
The Deputy is well over the limit.
Victims of serious mistreatment by gardaí have been paid €6 million in compensation, largely in out of court settlements so that they would not appear in the media.
As I said, I only received this report this morning and I agree with the Deputy that is somewhat unsatisfactory bearing in mind the amount of time that has elapsed since I sought it. Following a preliminary and brief examination of the report furnished to me, I will communicate further with the Garda authorities to request further explanation and elaboration of some aspects of the report, which I am not content to leave in the form in which I received them. At this stage, I do not intend to join the Deputy in expressing views on the case in question, having not had time to consider the matter. If, in a number of weeks, he resubmits a question to me on the matter, I will be in a position to make a more useful comment. It is more sensible and fair to everyone involved that I should not comment on a document which I received today and which, on the face of it, requires further elaboration.
Will the Minister make the report available to Members in the Oireachtas Library?
I will have to consider that.
