Shatter lets slip what he really thinks

Exclusive by Labour Senator John Whelan

It may be hard to believe, considering the amount of heartfelt concerns we have seen this week, but I have personally witnessed Justice Minister Alan Shatter belittling legitimate gardai and public concerns over the closure of Garda stations.

Not only that but he sneered and scoffed in Leinster House, making a skit of our concerns over the loss of 100 more Garda barracks.

The Minister was on his way into the Senate after the Budget in the run-up to Christmas.

He was due to speak on the insolvency legislation when an unexpected vote on a prior matter was called.

To my astonishment he turned around to two Department officials and joked: “Oh my, we’re delayed, we have another 10 minutes.

“I wonder how many more Garda stations I could close down in 10 minutes.”

To be fair, I don’t think the two female members of staff were any more amused than myself.

He didn’t seem to care a whole pile that I couldn’t help but hear him as I was virtually right next to them.

I was disgusted and disappointed.

I couldn’t believe my ears to witness first-hand such political arrogance, dismissiveness and outright contempt for the public’s well-founded and genuine fears about Garda resources and cutbacks.

I was so taken aback that I informed two Seanad colleagues of Minister Shatter’s appallingly bad attempt at humour.

And I have discussed the Minister’s attitude on that day with colleagues on a number of occasions in the meantime.

On each occasion, they were equally outraged — advising me that Shatter’s clear lack of due political concern for the worries of the people of this country should be exposed.

It was additionally hard for me to stomach as I had been campaigning for improved Garda presence and patrols in towns like Mountmellick, where people were being accosted and hassled on the town’s main street in broad daylight.

It shouldn’t have come as too much of a surprise to me though as Minister Shatter has a reputation for being aloof and detached, more exercised about introducing privacy legislation than making sure people are safe in their own townlands and homes.

Not that it’s any consolation but Minister Shatter treats his Government political colleagues with the same attitude as he treats the Garda rank-and-file and the general public.

On numerous occasions over the past few months I, along with other colleagues Senators Denis Landy, John Kelly, Aideen Hayden and James Heffernan, have tabled numerous motions on policing policy, Garda resources and the re-opening of the Garda Training College in Templemore — but they all fell on deaf ears.

Minister Shatter hadn’t even the courtesy to listen to our concerns first hand but instead dispatched other junior ministers to take the debates.

Minister Shatter insists that senior Garda officers assure him that they have all the resources they need.

Sure no serving senior officer could be expected to come out publicly and disagree with that.

But you cannot fight crime with such depleted Garda resources and numbers.

Criminals don’t operate 9 to 5 and they can’t be tracked and apprehended without adequate resources and overtime.

It is no laughing matter, Minister Shatter, and you should come before the Senate to listen to and address our genuine and well-founded fears and concerns.