Minister for Justice Alan Shatter and Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan would have been sacked long before now had the controversy about the quashing of penalty points occurred in Britain, it was claimed in the Dáil.
The Minister confirmed earlier that the Garda Ombudsman Commission will have direct access to the Garda Pulse IT system.
There were heated exchanges between the Minister and Independent TD Mick Wallace during Justice Question Time.
Mr Wallace said it was almost two years since the Minister had heard about the controversy. "You've been dragged kicking and screaming to this point in making a few changes," he told Mr Shatter.
But Mr Shatter accused Mr Wallace of having a single issue obsession and told the Wexford TD he had made a career of "blackguarding the gardaí".
Mr Wallace claimed the Minister has been dealing with the penalty points controversy for two years. “If this was Britain, Minister, your head would have rolled long before now and so would the commissioner’s,” he said. “But that wouldn’t even be enough because there’s still need for a cultural change in how the force works.
“It’s actually unfair to all the honest gardaí who are in the force, you have undermined the confidence and trust in the force, not us Minister”.
In response, Mr Shatter accused Mr Wallace of being on a campaign to undermine public confidence in the Garda “ because he’s incapable of acknowledging in any shape or form the good work done across a broad range of areas and a substantial reduction in the crime rates across the vast majority of areas.”
He added: “He’s also incapable of acknowledging that some of the allegations made have been established to be incorrect.”
Mr Shatter said the report of the assistant commissioner into the controversy only became available last May and was then referred to the Oireachtas justice committee.
Earlier, the Minister confirmed that the Garda Ombudsman Commission will have direct access to the Garda Pulse IT system without having to go through a seconded member of An Garda Commissioner, the procedure to date.
He also confirmed to Fianna Fáil justice spokesman Niall Collins and Sinn Féin spokesman Pádraig MacLochlainn the office of confidential recipient would be rendered redundant.
“It’s an office created by my predecessor which gives rise to all sorts of difficulties and allegations and conflicts which are unfair to members of the force and to a member of the force who has a valid complaint to make,” he said.
The changes will be made through amendment of the Garda Síochana Act 2005 and new regulations will be introduced. This will form part of the Protected Disclosures Bill introduced in the Dáil yesterday, which will offer protection to whistleblowers, including serving members of An Garda Síochana.
