Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity, on behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality, to respond to the debate on the Garda Síochána (Amendment) Bill 2014 introduced by Deputy Niall Collins. I thank him and all other contributors to the debate. Debates such as this are invaluable as they enable us, as Deputies, to reflect on the critical issues of Garda oversight and accountability. Reflection is the foundation of effective policy-making.

We are at a pivotal juncture in Irish policing. Collectively, we are charged with moulding the type of service we all want. I hope the Government's decision not to oppose the Bill on Second Stage will be viewed as a genuine indication that it wants to seize this historic opportunity to work collectively for reform. While it accepts the principles of oversight and accountability and decided not to oppose the Bill, it has been actively pursuing its programme of justice reform. One facet of that reform programme is new Government legislation to expand the remit and powers of GSOC and establish a new policing authority. In this context, some of the measures provided for in the Deputy's Bill have already been achieved, while others are in the process of being dealt with.

I have spoken about the Government's legislative reforms in the course of the debate. The Government is absolutely committed to progressing the new legislation as a matter of urgency and this is being overseen by the new Cabinet committee on justice reform established this year and chaired by the Taoiseach. The Garda Síochána (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2014 will be debated on Second Stage soon. Legislation to establish a new independent policing authority is at an advanced stage. The Government appreciates the importance of establishing the policing authority and is pursuing the matter with urgency.

The Government's reform programme is ambitious in its scope. I outlined many aspects of the programme in my opening contribution, including the commissions of investigation, the independent review mechanism, the Cooke inquiry into reports of unlawful surveillance of GSOC and the establishment of the policing authority.

However, as a Government, we must be ambitious. It has been a very difficult year for policing in the State and our chief aim is to restore not just the public's confidence in the Garda Síochána but also the Garda Síochána's confidence in itself. So much good work is done on a daily basis by gardaí throughout the country. There is much to be proud of. I suggest that those who would welcome this reform most are the decent, hard-working and patriotic gardaí who regularly put their bodies on the line for the security of the State. I refer to instances outlined by Deputies which have shaken the confidence of the public, such as the Corrib gas situation, for example. I know from my experience of instances of the difficulties encountered by young working-class men and the stories they tell me of their treatment in Garda stations. This is an issue. The relationship between working-class communities and An Garda Síochána has been a difficult one but there are many thousands of instances from all around the State of good members of the force doing excellent work beyond the call of duty in the service of those communities and of their State, an example being the CLAY project in Crumlin which I visited recently. While I am aware of some of the disturbing and difficult cases which feed into a culture which needs to be addressed, now is the opportunity for us to address it.

I also have responsibility for new communities and there are questions about how these communities feel confident in reporting issues to An Garda Síochána and how the force reflects the society it is charged to serve. No more than other areas of public service such as this House, I ask if the force represents the community it polices. This is a question we need to address.

It is critical that the current momentum of the Government's programme for justice reform continues over the coming months so the serious failings that have come to light can be dealt with effectively. We need to acknowledge that there have been serious failings. The reform programme will remain a central concern for the Government and we are determined to establish a system of police accountability that will be rigorous and robust.

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