Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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I move amendment No. 75:

In page 15, to delete lines 37 and 38, and in page 16, to delete lines 1 to 3 and substitute the following:

" "17.(1)The Authority shall, by order within 12 months of the establishment day of the Authority, establish a code of ethics that-

(a) includes standards of conduct and practice for members,

(b) is fully consistent with the policing principles, and

(c) encourages and facilitates the reporting of wrongdoing in the Garda Síochána by members.".

Similar to amendment No. 7, we intend to link policing principles to the code of ethics. Every effort should be made to ensure the code is fully consistent with policing principles. The 2005 Act set out that the Minister shall establish by regulation a code of ethics, including conduct and practice for members of An Garda Síochána, following consultation with the Garda Commissioner, the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and with regard to European standards. Significantly, neither this Minister nor any previous Minister has ever done this. The proposed Bill sets out that the authority shall set a code of ethics with the clause regarding breach of the code of ethics being a breach of discipline, which was included in the heads of Bill in November last but has been removed since. We have discussed this previously and my point remains the same.