Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Ms Justice Ring for her presentation. She said that GSOC deals with very frustrated people. I get the impression that it is fairly frustrated by the challenges it is facing. Ms Justice Ring made the point that it would be good if minor complaints could be dealt with within the Garda. She argued that resolutions should be found before disciplinary measures are required. I see merit in the idea of the Garda dealing with minor complaints, but I wonder whether Ms Justice Ring would agree that a change of culture is required in the force before the public can be happy with such an approach. Various whistleblowers have made us aware that there seems to be a serious reluctance on the part of the Garda hierarchy to co-operate with GSOC and give it the information and documentation it requires, especially when it comes to dealing with some senior members of the force. Ms Justice Ring said she would probably like the idea of legal redress, which happens to be available in the North. If she would like the same system to be in place here, has she discussed that with the Government?

I wish to ask about the protected disclosures system. GSOC is now looking after the whistleblower facility, but it has not really been given significant additional resources. We think the €1 million it was given is a pitiful allocation. It would appear that GSOC does not have the wherewithal to manage the whistleblower system as well. It is not being resourced as well as it should be to hold the Garda to account. Would Ms Justice Ring agree that being given responsibility for protected disclosures is an additional layer too many for GSOC to carry? She spoke about the possibility of the system being changed so that real disciplinary proceedings are in place for serious offences. At the moment, disciplinary actions and sanctions are in the hands of the Garda Commissioner. Would she be in favour of taking them away from the Garda Commissioner? Does she think that would be a good idea, in terms of giving GSOC a better chance to be the organisation it would like to be? I will conclude by referring to an issue that goes back many years. Many gardaí have escaped any form of sanction or redress because they have retired. Does Ms Justice Ring agree that a garda who chooses to retire while he is under scrutiny for one thing or another should remain subject to scrutiny by GSOC after he has retired?