Responding to news that Fianna Fáil are to proceed with a Private Members Motion on Garda cuts this week in the Dáil, Sinn Féin Justice spokesperson, Pádraig Mac Lochlainn accused Fianna Fáil of “breath taking hypocrisy”.
He also drew attention to the call by Fianna Fáil’s current Justice spokesperson Niall Colllins back in 2010 for the outgoing president of the Garda Representative Association, Michael O’ Boyce, to be removed from the force by the then Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy, for a speech, which was not delivered, in which he planned to criticise the Government and Fianna Fáil on their programme of Garda cuts.
Deputy Mac Lochlainn said: “This government is implementing Fianna Fáil’s 2010 ‘National Recovery Plan’ when it comes to Garda cuts. Fianna Fáil agreed with the Troika to cut Garda numbers from 14,500 that year to 13,500 the following year, and to 13,000 in 2014, a total drop of 10%.
“Fianna Fáil’s plan also stated that there would be €25m savings from unspecified Garda management efficiencies and €140m in overtime, allowances and transport costs, much of it within the force.
“When the Garda Representative Association spoke out against Fianna Fáil’s cuts to An Garda Síochána in late 2010, the response of the now Fianna Fáil Justice spokesperson, Niall Collins was to have them silenced. He called for the outgoing president of the Garda Representative Association, Michael O’ Boyce, to be removed from the force by the then Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy, for a speech, which was not delivered, in which he planned to criticise the then Fianna Fáil led Government on their programme of cuts.
“Two short years on and Fianna Fáil would have us believe that this was all in our imagination. Fianna Fáil may hope that the people of Ireland are all suffering from collective amnesia but I can tell them they are fooling no one.
“The reality is that if Fianna Fáil were still in government, they would be implementing these cuts as they had agreed with the Troika. They are part of the consensus for cuts and austerity with Fine Gael and Labour and no amount of publicity stunts and spin can change that.”