Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

One of the fundamental changes in this Bill is to separate the oversight and governance of the organisation. At present, the Policing Authority is responsible for oversight but, as we know, it is also involved in governance. In appointing people to senior ranks, the intention is not to have a crossover whereby they would be responsible for oversight while also involved in governance.

That is why we will have a new internal board, the role of which will be governance. The role of the Policing Authority, in its merged form, will be that of oversight. What is proposed in the amendment works contrary to the fundamental principle of the legislation in that we are separating governance and oversight of the organisation. There should be clear lines of responsibility between the different actors in the policing area. That is essential and it is a core part of what we are doing overall in the Bill.

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