Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for being late but I had to meet the Minister for Justice and Equality on the review of the Garda, etc. I have a question for Mr. Watt on that. At the last meeting of the Policing Authority the deputy commissioner was asked why he had not appointed the staffing needed in the communications unit in Castlebar and he answered that they had only just got the authorisation and were to advertise. That had been recommended by the Olson report on changing Irish policing. Similarly, the Garda Commissioner, during questioning on the breath test issue, stated that she had only just received authorisation to get her executive team in place and that was part of the reason the Garda it effectively took three years to address some of the figures. Will Mr. Watt briefly summarise for me, because I am not up to speed on it, the authorisation process? I am aware we got rid of the employment control framework. Is there a role for Mr. Watt's Department? I recall him stating previously that we have to start thinking in the Committee on Budgetary Oversight about where we would save, not only about what we would spend? Is there a mechanism in the Garda, where several hundred staff retire every year, for it to decide that instead of replacing them, it would prioritise putting in place the communications team in Castlebar? Why did it take it a year and a half or two years to get authorisation to advertise for a job?

My second question relates somewhat to the Garda in that it seems one of the big problems there is around digital management and digital systems. The PULSE system clearly is not fit for purpose. Has the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform looked at states such as Estonia or Finland which have introduced a digital identifier system which could be used in the health, justice and education systems and which would bring significant efficiencies and savings? If we are looking for savings as well as expenditure options, that seems to be one mechanism which would achieve significant efficiencies and perhaps benefits in terms of our overall expenditure system. We would have a much easier job in the drawing up of budgets and the assessment of what is happening. Has Mr. Watt considered the introduction of such a system or where are we in terms of an overall State management of digital information which would be audited and traceable so that, for example, Garda could take a photograph of a scene which would go immediately into a system which is auditable, traceable and avoids all this incredible paperwork? I believe Department is still responsible for the digitalisation of the public service. Has Mr. Watt looked at what Estonia or Finland has done in that regard? I will put those questions first and then come to Mr. Moran on the tax side.