Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 6, inclusive, together.

The establishment of the Fennelly commission was one of a wide range of decisions taken by the Government to help restore trust in the justice system following a series of events and allegations which caused very significant public concern. These include the most wide-ranging reforms of the policing and justice system since the foundation of the State, as well as robust actions taken to investigate certain allegations. The policing reforms include the establishment of a new independent policing authority; the appointment of a chair-designate for the new authority; the first-ever international open competition for the position of Garda Commissioner, which was run by the Public Appointments Service and involved the chair-designate of the new authority; a similar open competition, which is currently under way, for the positions of Deputy Commissioner in the Garda Síochána; the provision of enhanced powers to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission; the passing of new legislation to protect whistleblowers; and the reform and extension of freedom of information legislation.

The drafting of the legislation to establish the independent policing authority is nearing completion and it is intended that it will be published in early May. I hope it can be enacted by the summer recess. When the Bill is published, the Public Appointments Service will be requested to conduct an open process for the selection of the remaining members of the police authority and a new chief executive and support staff. The authority will then be established in shadow form so that it can commence preparations for its formal establishment and get down to work quickly.

In addition to this series of reforms, the Minister for Justice and Equality commissioned a report from an expert independent review group, chaired by Mr. Kevin Toland, into the Department of Justice and Equality. That report was published in July 2014 and the Department is now implementing its recommendations.

As well as implementing wide-ranging reforms, a number of independent inquiries were established by the Government to investigate serious matters of public concern. Mr. Justice Cooke was appointed to investigate allegations that the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission was the subject of unlawful surveillance. His report was published in June 2014.

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