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

We very much welcome that. Commissioner Harris was talking about internal communications in the first instance as a priority. With no specific reference, I have to say as Chair of this committee that I hope communications with the committee will also improve in the future. There have been inordinate delays in responses to specific questions this committee has posed to former holders of the post of Garda Commissioner. I am saying this on behalf of all of those present and all those elected members who make up this committee. It has vexed us in the past and it is unnecessary. I would greatly appreciate a significant improvement in that area.

My final question is on something that came up only last week. We met with Assistant Commissioners Leahy and Finn and Commissioner Harris's former colleague, Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd. They were before us in these very seats. We talked about the importance of partnership in addressing issues that very often present almost wholly and solely to An Garda Síochána. I am speaking about areas such as mental health and, as the Commissioner referred to earlier, youth crime and reducing recidivism. It came out in the engagement last week that there might be - this might be a point of opinion - a better degree of interaction and co-operation between the different agencies north of the Border than may be the case here.

That may be a moot point and perhaps the Commissioner might have a different view. That is neither here nor there. The point is that we need to see that level of co-operation across the board. As elected public representatives, we are very much aware that members of An Garda Síochána find themselves having to deal with situations that present that are not their primary responsibility in respect of community safety. I refer particularly to the area of mental health. Some of the difficulties relate to An Garda Síochána being a 24-7 hour organisation. Some of the other services concerned are not and that is a huge problem.

Even in my years of public service, I have had to strive to find where one can get help in a given situation after 5 p.m. in the evening and at weekends when, very often, these problems present. It is an important area for the members of An Garda Síochána and societally. I would like to conclude by asking the Commissioner to elaborate on building this interaction perhaps in a more structured way. I know it is early days for the Commissioner, and I do not mean to put him on the spot. It is, however, an area he has reflected on. I welcome that and I would like to underscore the importance of it. Could he offer any additional commentary on this important area?