SEANAD REPORT: It was intended that the Bill to establish a Garda Inspectorate would be in the public domain before the summer, the Minister of State for Justice, Mr Willie O'Dea, said.
The inspectorate would be "something equivalent" to the Police Ombudsman in Northern Ireland.
Mr O'Dea was speaking in the debate on the Bill which provides for the transfer of members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and of the Garda Síochána from one service to the other. The Bill passed all stages.
Dr Maurice Hayes (Ind) said that two things in particular were needed to move policing on in the North and they were interlinked. One was the ability to transfer, which was being afforded. The other was the participation of Sinn Féin in policing arrangements in Northern Ireland.
Referring to the Bill, he said: "Since they are looking for this, it seems ironic that they don't move, and I hope they do move soon on the other because it would make it much more attractive and much easier to get people from the Garda to go North."
It was difficult to see why people were respected when they were on this side of the Border, but somehow they lost that respect when they crossed it.
Dr Hayes said he subscribed to the idea of a police ombudsman, whatever title was given to the office. "I think it is totally illogical and unbalanced unless roughly the same arrangements are available on both sides of the Border."
It would be helpful if the Minister could give a clear indication as to how soon they might see the promised legislation to deal with the concerns of people.
Mr O'Dea said he would look at the question of whether any member of the Garda should be permitted to resign before a disciplinary hearing was concluded.
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Immigrants to this country from sub-Saharan Africa should be screened for HIV, Mr Michael Finucane (FG) said. A report by the National Disease Surveillance Board here has revealed that 73 per cent of those infected with HIV had come from that part of Africa. This was rather frightening.
"Surely for immigrants coming in from these locations it is important to have screening in order to determine if medication is required subsequently."
It was incumbent on the Department of Health to follow that up, added Mr Finucane.
The Leader of the House, Mrs Mary O'Rourke, said Mr Finucane was, in effect, proposing that there be compulsory testing. The issue of screening had been put forward on a few occasions, but such an approach had been turned down. "I would be of the view that it is an invasion of the person to have it so done."
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Mrs O'Rourke referred to a report in yesterday's Irish Times which concerned the difficulties facing a hotel as a result of a change in the work permits regime.
She said she would be contacting the Office of the Tánaiste about the permits issue.
She was responding to Mr Marc MacSharry (FF), who had asked that the Tánaiste come to the House in the light of the announcement by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and FÁS of the new arrangements concerning work permit procedures, and the occupational sectors which were ineligible to get them.
While quite a few business sectors would appreciate what Ms Harney was trying to do, the impact on some other sectors, such as hotels and catering, would be "prohibitive". Some of the employer organisations were very concerned about it, and the Tánaiste should address the House as a matter of urgency.
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The Seanad should send a deputation to Palestine to view at first hand the atrocities that were being carried out by the Israelis in the occupied territories, Mr Terry Leyden (FF) said.
He thanked the leaders of the parties and groups in the House for supporting his motion calling on the Israeli government and the Palestinian administration to declare a ceasefire for the duration of Holy Week and Easter to enable intensive efforts to be made to restart negotiations to bring about a lasting peace and the creation of a permanent Palestine state, along with a guaranteed future for the state of Israel.