Dara Murphy (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister fully agrees that GSOC should have access to PULSE for the purposes of its investigations. However, on her behalf I can assure the Deputies that, at this stage, it is an aspect of co-operation that is being fully catered for operationally.

While I am aware it is an area that has given rise to difficulties for GSOC in the past, the commission has confirmed to the Minister's Department that it is satisfied with the level of access to PULSE that is currently being provided. As part of the processes involved, appropriate training has been provided for GSOC personnel. For the Minister's part, she believes it is appropriate that GSOC's access to the PULSE system should be provided within the general framework of the co-operation that takes place between the Garda Síochána and GSOC. This is specifically provided for in the 2005 Act and the Minister does not consider that there would be any advantage in making separate provision for one isolated area where information is exchanged. Also, legislating for access to a named information system, as proposed, has the potential to give rise to practical difficulties, for example, if the title or name of the system were to be decommissioned.

Additionally, section 9 of the Bill contains a provision that will underpin any requirement on the Garda Commissioner to provide information to GSOC. That section inserts a new section 103A into the Garda Síochána Act 2005 and places a statutory obligation on the Garda Commissioner to provide GSOC, as soon as practicable, with information that GSOC requires for the purposes of carrying out its functions.

In the circumstances, the Minister does not consider that new legislative provisions along the lines proposed are necessary. I ask the Deputy to withdraw the amendment.