Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Government is committed to establishing a new police authority and to its being an independent body and having a strong oversight and supervisory role over the Garda Síochána. By any standard, it is a radical change in the accountability of the Garda Síochána.

Deputy Wallace referred to a buffer.

It is a new independent authority with strong powers to do its business in public as well as private in order that the public will see the Commissioner and other relevant members of the management of An Garda Síochána being invited to present the work they do and being subject to scrutiny by an independent body. The chairperson was appointed after I had asked the Public Appointments Service to advertise and several people put their names forward. The Government examined them and made a decision. Ms Josephine Feehily will be an excellent chairperson of the body, to which she brings the requisite skills of independence and analysis from her background in the public service to get the independent body off to a very good start.

There are constitutional issues in respect of the role of the Minister for Justice and Equality when it comes to policing. This role will have to be carefully crafted in the Bill which will have to meet constitutional standards. Allowing for this, the intention is to give the new independent policing authority the powers it will need to do its work effectively. There is no reason not to do this. We hope to have the Bill in the House by Easter. Work is ongoing on it.

The case mentioned by Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn was referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions. As the Deputy knows, a decision was taken not to prosecute or take further action. That is all I can say on that point.

We have provided for strong new powers and brought the Garda Commissioner within the remit of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC, which we are allowing to examine, for the first time on its own initiative, practices, policies or procedures. I have met the commissioners on a couple of occasions, most recently in the past couple of weeks, and discussed the changes they want to see. In so far as practical, I will accommodate them to give them as many powers as they believe they need. During the course of the debate on the Garda Síochána (Amendment) Bill and the policing authority we can examine further changes if we think they are necessary.

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