Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Senator's electorate would be most happy with it.

It comes to me to ask a number of short questions, if I may. In her address to us here, Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring spoke about the delay in responding to requests for reports and other information. GSOC makes requests but there is an inordinate delay, in her own words, and an untimeliness, in responding that makes the work of GSOC difficult. I will call it, as we see it, an unco-operative pattern. I believe it will not only prompt but necessitate legislative change compelling full and timely co-operation whereas voluntary co-operation and presentation might not necessitate such a change. Would the Commissioner like to comment on it? I note there is an upcoming meeting that Deputy Commissioner Ó Cualáin will attend. It would be the universal view of members here that we would wish to see full co-operation in a timely manner with GSOC requests.

Allied to that, Ms Justice Ring also stated that many complaints presenting to GSOC would be more appropriately dealt with by Garda management locally, and she estimated that this amounted to 20% of the traffic presenting to GSOC over its almost decade in being. She instanced that verbal abuse by gardaí should be dealt with at a service level in a resolution focused approach rather than one that was seeking retribution and that the ethos of resolution-seeking with an apology would likely, as we would all recognise, satisfy the complainant rather than take up so much time at a senior level and encroach on already limited time on the address of the traffic of complaints. Those are both elements relating to the GSOC presentation.

We had questions earlier on promotions. Ms Josephine Feehily, the chairperson of the Policing Authority, indicated that at present the Policing Authority has responsibility for Commissioner and perhaps deputy commissioner level but expects that the power of appointment would come down the ranks over the period ahead. Ms Feehily articulated the view that such would be a welcome development. I would like to know the Commissioner's commentary on those two sets of respective points made by the previous presenters.