Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome all our guests here this afternoon to discuss this very important proposed legislation.

I will start if I may with the Garda Commissioner, but I direct the question also to the representative from the Policing Authority. It would appear to someone looking in on this that there seems to be quite a wide range of bodies tasked with overseeing the activity of An Garda Síochána from the Garda Commissioner, the Garda Síochána Inspectorate, the Policing Authority and An Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission. I wonder what the is potential to amalgamate some of these organisations.

The starting point of everybody here is robust oversight and accountability. That is key. There seems to be a disparity between all contributors. Everyone wants to reach that destination but there appears to be wide-ranging opinions as to how we get there. What is the Garda Commissioner's opinion on this? What is the opinion of representative from the Policing Authority and others who want to comment on the potential to amalgamate some of the existing bodies, and what effect would this have on the organisations?