Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. Her question and comment at the beginning related to the situation that has applied from the foundation of the State up to the present time where the Commissioner of the day was always responsible for the day-to-day running of the Garda force and the Minister for Justice of the day, with few exceptions in the past, did not interfere with that. Obviously, there would be meetings between the Garda Commissioner and the Minister of the day in respect of the requirements of the Commissioner to run the Garda force in terms of facilities, vehicles and aids and appliances for gardaí to do their job. That was an issue raised consistently by Minister after Minister.

The decision of the Government to move to an independent statutory authority to deal with the Garda will remove politics from the running of the Garda in the sense that the Commissioner who makes recommendations to Government, and who has always done so, in respect of Garda divisions, the running of and the senior personnel in the Garda will become part of the requirement of and the responsibility of the independent statutory authority.

I do not want to attempt to spell out the way this will work in its finality because I would like to hear the views of Members when we discuss this. As I said the day before yesterday, the committee I chair, which is a new Cabinet committee dealing with the requirement to bring forward the model and structures for the independent statutory authority will have its second meeting on Tuesday of next week. I hope to come back to the House with recommendations or a structure it can debate in July.

I listened to different speakers say it is very important to get this right. It is critical the people have faith, belief and credibility in the integrity of the force but also that those who work in it have pride in what they do.

I am hearing comments from different parts of the country about what should or might be done. All I want to say is that all of these comments and observations will be taken into account, as will the views of the Members. The decision is to move to an independent statutory authority away from the current situation where the Commissioner of the day makes all of the recommendations, including the recommendations for approval by Government of promotions and so on. What one has to see is that it is independent, properly representative and that it has functions. The Minister for Justice and Equality will come back to Government in due course with her memorandum on that, the Government will make its observations and the House will have its opportunity to do the same.

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