The Public Accounts Committee may have made its name on the DIRT hearings and report but it deals with other things too. When the Clerk of the Dail, Kieran Coughlan, appeared before it earlier this month to discuss accounts, a few interesting matters came up. In fact, the chairman, Jim Mitchell, complained about the Garda. The standard of the Oireachtas ushers and service officers "in terms of their appearance and level of service is extremely high" he said. But "the service and appearance of members of the Garda Siochana around this House is much less than one would expect in houses of parliament and much less than one would get elsewhere. I have made this point since I was Minister for Justice. I still see somewhat dishevelled members of the Garda Siochana around the House, leaning against walls, with their collars turned up and failing to address members correctly . . . They do not even address ministers as `minister' or deputies as `deputy'. They simply say `howya'.
"When I raised this matter as Minister for Justice, which was a long time ago, I heard that gardai had been told that I wanted them to salute me. I do not want anyone to salute me. The staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas, especially our own service officers and ushers, invariably act with great decorum and propriety and respect the Parliament for what it is. This is not true of the gardai who are assigned to the House. Some training is needed urgently."
The clerk undertook to make representations about the matter and Deputy Conor Lenihan urged the Garda to copy the Defence Forces who have a separate detachment in Government Buildings and Leinster House.
Quidnunc is at rholohan@irish-times.ie