Mick Wallace: “Fine Gael used to pride itself as the party of law and order. How, in god’s name, can they still stand over that. You avoid using strong legislation, in order not to seek out the truth, not to reveal it. You don’t ask, you wouldn’t ask the [Garda] Commissioner [Martin Callinan] if he actually engaged in lawful surveillance, in case you might be told something that you had to stand over, you didn’t want the answer. You wouldn’t ask G2 the same question. You wouldn’t even ask him what did it do to check to see if there’s any rogue elements in their organisations that may have engaged in unlawful surveillance. You didn’t want the answers, minister. GSOC begged for the PULSE system, after the Boylan report and annual report, you refused to give it to them, you refused to give it to them in September. You gave it to them a few weeks ago under political pressure. You wouldn’t allow GSOC look at penalty points, but you allowed [section of Garda Síochána Act] 102 but not [section] 106 [which would have allowed GSOC to investigate practices, policies and procedures] of course, under political pressure. Minister, your prime motives are political survival, your prime motives have very little to do with the administration of justice, I’m sad to say. Now, there’s so many things that have gone on in this State, for a long time, that leave so much to be desired. And minister, it was happening long before your time but I am disappointed they is still no appetite for the truth.

Gemma O’Doherty lost her job in the [Irish] Independent because she had the audacity to challenge the Commissioner, the audacity. We got an email this morning, from a nephew of Fr Molloy’s, someone that Gemma O’Doherty has done a lot of research on. Here’s what he said in it. You mightn’t want to hear it, minister. He said: ‘For almost 30 year, people have hidden behind a wall of silence, deceit, corruption and cover-up. Time for the light of justice to shine on them and reveal them to the people for what they are. Many, many people have gone to their graves overshadowed by this heartache. Minister, if you are going to stay in power and the Commissioner is going to stay in place than I think this parliament is a sham. The people are right to be cynical about politics, they’re right to be cynical about politicians. This place is a joke. We play games in here. Well, you know what? Sometimes these games lead to the unfair distribution of justice or no justice being distributed. Sometimes these games lead to people losing their lives, they lead to murders, they lead to the families not getting any justice. And what do we see so often? When bad things raise their head? We see our police force circle the wagons. We see our politicians circle the wagons. Do what it takes to cover up what we don’t want to see. Do what it takes to hide the truth. Is there any appetite for doing things any different in this house? Minister, you look up here at us and you say ‘how dare those people with their long hair and raggy jeans have the audacity’ to challenge you. Well I want to tell you something. The people of Wexford that elected me to come in here, didn’t elect me to come in here and approve of your behaviour. They put me in here to challenge it. It’s time for you to go, minister. And bring the Commissioner with you.