Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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I will argue along the same lines as Deputy Wallace. Dr. Vicky Conway made a submission to the justice committee in respect of authority in this area. It is appropriate and in order to do so. Respected analysts in the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, ICCL, have been mentioned. It is important to take stock of why we are here. We have had a number of crises and scandals in my county since the Morris tribunal. The actions of a minority of Garda Síochána members have dishonoured the service given by the overwhelming majority. We want to have a police service that is up to modern, international standards, fully independent of political interference and fully accountable. When the gardaí get up in the morning, or the night, to commence their work, we want them to be proud that they are in a police service of the highest international standard.

If we are serious about having a policing authority that is to command the respect and confidence of the public and is to have teeth and real purpose, it must have the ability to appoint, and fire, the Garda Commissioner and deputy commissioner. It needs the power to examine superintendents and chief superintendents and to have oversight of the promotion process in the Garda Síochána. From the sergeant up to the Garda Commissioner, there must be an independent appointment process that is accountable and based on merit from top to bottom. This is required to give the full confidence to the public and, just as important, to ensure the members of the Garda Síochána know they have equal opportunity of promotion, taking into consideration no other issue than their ability, service and capacity. Wherever policing authorities have emerged, including the Northern Ireland Policing Board, this has been the case.

This is the objective of my amendments. They cover the appointments to these positions. It is not just the issue of the appointment of the Garda Commissioner, deputy commissioner, assistant commissioners, chief superintendents and superintendents. It extends right down. In my role as justice spokesperson, I have spoken to many gardaí during recent years. One of the issues they raise is the perception that people have been promoted based on whom they know, not what they know or their ability. As part of the process of creating the policing authority, it is very important to give the authority oversight. While the authority might not appoint the sergeant, inspector or superintendent, it should have oversight over the appointment system. We must have a genuine new departure. My concern with what is proposed is very real.