Ms Antoinette Cunningham:

I will address the question on the investigation management system. It is a new system that has been introduced as part of the Garda reform agenda. Every incident gardaí encounter, from the theft of a bottle of Lucozade from a shop up to the most serious type of crime, will be recorded on the new system. We believe the origins of the system are in a UK model that was designed for the management of major crime investigations, with only the more serious types of crimes recorded on the system. The way we have adopted it in this country involves recording every single incident. That includes things like basic minor road traffic accidents involving no injury and no disclosed offence. Such incidents still requires a garda to sit at a computer and input a minimum number of jobs every time, even where the incident might just have involved a swapping of insurance details.

In an attempt to progress the issues that have emerged in the eight divisions where the system is out on pilot at the moment, we have made some detailed submissions arising from workshops we have held with members. Following on from that, we met with the deputy commissioner and assistant commissioner in charge of the project, who are now considering whether they should raise the threshold of what is recorded, thereby easing the burden currently being placed on gardaí. We welcome that this change is being explored but the AGSI's position on this remains crystal clear. It is that we need to take the system back to a major crime investigation management system only and not include everyday sorts of crimes such as the theft of a bottle of Lucozade from a shop.

On oversight, one of the things that deeply affects morale within the Garda organisation is how the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC, conducts its business. The unfair and prolonged investigations into gardaí, where there is absolutely no accountability by GSOC, even when investigations go on for years, is having an extremely demoralising effect on the membership and has an impact on their professional and private lives. The AGSI has been saying for some time that there must be some accountability by GSOC. Our executive has spoken to the Minister for Justice about whether a legally qualified person needs to be appointed to manage GSOC in cases where there is a complaint against an injustice that definitely has been done to a member or where a case is of such a prolonged nature that somebody independent needs to looks at it and ask why it has been going on for six or seven years. That legally qualified person could have the power either to conduct the investigation or to terminate the investigation if it is totally disadvantageous or unfair. At the moment, there is no accountability and it is extremely demoralising. Some of the recommendations that have been made by GSOC to the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, recently, which we cannot go into for the obvious reason that they are now part of a court process, highlight GSOC's lack of oversight and accountability. What it does is very demoralising for our members. I am happy to take further questions.