Ms Eimear Fisher:

What we were concerned about was the multitude of different oversight activity. The rationale behind that particular recommendation was that the Department take a particular central role and that there would be some co-ordination, not to tie the hand of any particular body but something that would involve us, for example, working with GSOC, the policing authority and the Comptroller and Auditor General, and perhaps coming in to talk to the Committee of Public Accounts at some stage. If there were issues that ran across the priority of those groups they would influence our work plans but not necessarily influence our independence in how we work, and rather than having a plethora of different recommendations or a scattergun approach, there would be some sort of centrality. We recognised that the Department has a role, and while these new structures are being put in place, we wanted to ensure that the Department's position was recognised. That was the rationale behind that. Hopefully, and not only for the new bodies that are in place, this recommendation would have an important role.