Ms Helen Hall:

It is human nature. The relationship is appropriately robust but yet productive, so I have no cause for complaint in that regard. Sometimes there is an expectation, in relation to the representative bodies, that we are somehow a conduit to the Commissioner. I suppose we have resisted that because we believe the relationship is between the unions and associations and their employer, the Garda Commissioner.

That is not a popular position. We do try, however, and it is funny the way these things happen. Covid taught us a lot. We have done a lot of engagement within the service. For example, when we were going out to assess how people were experiencing policing, we went to checkpoints back in May 2020. I stood at the side of the road myself and we talked to members of the Garda about the fear, about the difficulty of these regulations and about their own personal situations. It was about understanding. Maybe we have not done enough of that. It is something I would like us to do more of in terms of that engagement with the Garda service. We have not been restricted in any way and we have had nothing but positivity from the service throughout. I commend the committee on its comments last week about using the word "service" rather than "force". It has been there since 2005 but it is not a Garda force or a police force. It is a police service. I like that kind of language from the committee. It is very welcome.