FIANNA FAIL supported Government moves to resolve the dispute over the Garda representative bodies.
The Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, introducing the Garda Siochana Bill, said she greatly regretted that Garda leaders could not come together to find a solution to the dispute which had left significant numbers of gardai without representation on issues such as pay, pensions and conditions of employment for two years.
The Garda Representative Association (GRA) had fulfilled its role since it was set up in 1978, but recent difficulties meant it could not represent all potential members.
There were now almost 2,500 gardai, mainly in the Dublin area, who were not contributing membership subscriptions to the GRA. A sizeable number of these had joined a separate organisation, the Garda Federation. A further 1,000 gardai in four divisions Louth/Meath, Cavan/Monaghan, west Cork and Tipperary were still members of the GRA but not fully participating in its activities.
The Bill attempted to resolve the dispute by prescribing rules which must be observed by any organisation representing gardai. These rules were intended to make good the "democratic deficit" in the constitution of the GRA which had been identified by disaffected members.
Failure by the GRA to comply with these rules would bring into operation the proposed power of the Minister, in effect, to withdraw recognition from the organisation.
The Fianna Fail spokesman on justice, Mr John O'Donoghue, appealed to members of the GRA and the federation to reflect "in a deeply considered way and in a spirit of compromise and magnanimity". Their objectives were similar.
The Progressive Democrats spokeswoman on justice, Ms Liz O'Donnell, said it was sad to have to legislate to resolve an essentially industrial dispute.
Mr Alan Dukes (FG, Kildare) a former Minister for Justice, said there must be an authoritarian element in the relationship between the State and its security forces in a democratic society. The Government must be able to rely on the security forces doing what was required without constant questioning and arguing. No member of the Garda could refuse to accept this Bill which "is to rescue rank and file gardai from the consequences of their own internal strife."
Debate on the Bill continues.