Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman, commend Deputy O'Callaghan on the Bill and thank Ms Feehily and Ms Hall for appearing before us. In a general sense, as I said on Second Stage, I am very much in agreement with the overall thrust of the Bill. Much of it overlaps with the submission that Sinn Féin made to the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland, particularly with regard to spontaneous notification and the section on unannounced visits by the inspectorate. I am also supportive of section 4. The only question I have, which I also raised on Second Stage, relates to section 3. A comprehensive answer was provided in terms of the architecture and structure of the Bill but I would like an answer on the principle behind what is intended. Does Ms Feehily agree that the Policing Authority should have the power to remove members of An Garda Síochána? If so, in what circumstances should that apply? Should it apply to all ranks or only to senior ranks? The Policing Authority, which is not an enormous organisation, could be overwhelmed if all ranks were included, albeit that any removal would be in exceptional and serious circumstances. I have an open mind on this but perhaps it would be better for the authority to focus specifically on the senior ranks within An Garda Síochána.