Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

With regard to amendment No. 15 tabled by Deputy Mac Lochlainn, the committee recommended that access to the PULSE system by GSOC should be put on a statutory footing, not by way of protocol. I understand that was in its report, which said that the access to Garda systems is of integral importance to the operation of effective oversight of An Garda Síochána. It said that while in practice this process is already in operation between the Garda Síochána, GSOC and the Garda Inspectorate, it is only by means of protocols which have been put in place. The committee recommended that this be placed on a statutory footing to ensure that no party can opt out of the protocol.