Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have a query similar to that of Deputy Collins. Has the Minister examined the powers of the ombudsman in the North? The Minister suggested a garda with a serious concern, rather than a minor issue, might be able to go directly to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission rather than the confidential recipient.

The current matter which the Minister is referring to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission will, I suspect, have considerable resource implication. I wish to get a sense of it.

I welcome that the Minister has acknowledged there will be some additional powers, that he is thinking them through and that they will go to Cabinet. Naturally, they will have resource implications. Part of the modernisation process with our police service will be that strong accountability mechanism. Has the Minister examined any models? I have in mind not only the force in the North, the model we would most closely relate to on this island, but perhaps are there other models in Europe which the Minister has examined and he could introduce additional powers to strengthen the force. What would be the resource implications of such a move?