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

The introduction of joint policing committees created a new partnership approach between An Garda Síochána, the local authorities and Oireachtas Members. I had the privilege of chairing one myself for three years when they were originally piloted and introduced under the late Brian Lenihan. JPCs now exist in each local authority area and they provide a forum for discussion of policing, safety and quality of life measures in our communities. They operate under guidelines issued by the Minister for Justice and Equality, after consultation with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government.

The Bill will transfer the Minister's responsibility for the guidelines to the authority, while retaining a consultative role for the Minister.

Arising from a wide-ranging review process which commenced in 2012, and taking into account the establishment of new local government arrangements, revised guidelines for the operation of JPCs were issued in August 2014. The revised guidelines emphasise the need for collaborative approaches between all stakeholders to address local issues. Members of the Oireachtas, of course, have an involvement. The guidelines also underline the need for enhanced communication between JPCs, which have a strategic co-ordinating role, and the full range of local and community-based fora which can contribute to the enhancement of community safety and support effective policing responses.

Amendment No. 102 would remove the requirement in section 29 of the Bill for the authority to consult with the Minister for Justice and Equality and the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government before issuing guidelines concerning the establishment and maintenance of joint policing committees. To ensure proper co-ordination and avoid duplication of effort it is essential that JPCs align their work with the recently established local authority arrangements and, therefore, the removal of the requirement to consult with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government would be a retrograde step. The effect of the amendment would be to allow the authority to issue or amend guidelines in an arbitrary manner and with no regard for any concerns arising from the remits of either of the Ministers involved.

This amendment would, in the Minister’s opinion, undermine the partnership principle that underpins the approach to joint policing committees and, accordingly, the Minister cannot accept it.

Amendment No. 103 would allow each joint policing committee to elect its chairperson from among all of its members rather than the chairperson being nominated by the local authority elected members of the JPC. The revision of the present JPC operating guidelines in 2014 was guided by extensive consultations with a broad range of stakeholders, and revising the procedures for the election of the chairperson along the lines suggested in the amendment did not emerge during the consultations as a key concern for those involved.

The essential point is that JPCs are established to enhance communication and co-operation on policing and related local authority functions in each local authority area, and therefore the Minister considers it appropriate that the chairperson should continue to be drawn from the democratically elected members for those communities and local authority areas and, within the political cycle, ultimately be accountable to the local communities for which they be the chair.