Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The point we have been making is that the new police authority should have full power of appointment of the Garda Commissioner, subject only to consultation with the Government. We are not actually rubbing the Government's involvement in policing out of existence, but the Minister of State has said that what we are proposing would remove from the Government the power to control policing. If she thinks that is what we are saying, she is right. We do not think it is a good idea that the Government controls policing. That is why so many people thought the idea of putting in place an independent police authority was a good one. It would go some way towards taking policing out of total Government control. Sadly, that is not what is happening. Policing is going to remain in total Government control. The authority is being given weak powers to make it look as if there is a buffer between the Government and the Garda Síochána. However, it is so toothless that it is only going to complicate matters. The Government is also going to make all the appointments to this board. Even if it were not, it is giving it so little power. It is a bit like the GSOC issue.

GSOC was designed to fail and this non-independent policing authority is also designed to fail.

See this speech in context