Opposition criticises format of Garda debate

The Government will today outline its full proposals for Garda reform in a special Dáil debate on the Morris tribunal.

Minister for Finance Brian Cowen told the Dáil that the four-hour series of statements represented the "beginning of the response to the Morris tribunal and the systemic problems that have been identified by the report".

Deflecting trenchant Opposition criticism that the debate's format would "diminish" Mr Justice Frederick Morris and the Dáil and would be the parliamentary equivalent of "chewing the cud", the Minister said that it was "not the beginning and the end of the story, but simply a series of formal statements that have been used before for such matters".

Mr Cowen, who was taking the Order of Business, stated that the Government "looks forward to giving its full position on the report and on the process of reform it intends to pursue".

Opposition objections to the format of the discussion were rejected by 63 votes to 47.

Fine Gael deputy leader Richard Bruton said that Mr Justice Morris, chairman of the tribunal which investigated the activities of gardaí in Donegal, had "criticised the way in which the Dáil has handled the issue and has asked us to look very carefully at the Garda Síochána Bill in the light of his report".

He added that "nothing could be graver than the report we have seen".

The Minister for Justice had said that the Dáil was the authority that would hold the Garda accountable.

The format of the debate, however, would leave "no opportunity to question the Minister or his predecessor, minister John O'Donoghue. The Dáil will not have an opportunity to adopt a resolution on foot of the Morris tribunal."

Labour leader Pat Rabbitte claimed it would "diminish Mr Justice Morris and this House for the Government merely to allow statements in an abridged debate without the possibility of tabling a motion that commits the Government to implementing the recommendations in the report".

He also opposed the debate being held on the "graveyard shift" of Friday.

The Minister for Justice believed it was incumbent on the Opposition to facilitate the early enactment of the Garda Síochána Bill but "Mr Justice Morris has said the opposite and suggested we review the Bill".

Green Party leader Trevor Sargent said it seemed the Government was not serious about addressing the report's recommendations and the only way to remedy that was to table a serious motion.

The debate format was the "parliamentary equivalent of chewing the cud".

Sinn Féin's Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said it was "an outrageous response to a serious issue" and the statements were a "charade which amounts to absolutely nothing".