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

I do not agree with the Deputy's analysis of GSOC. The GSOC report from 2015 indicated that it had received full responses to 93.6% of requests within the time limit of 30 days, with only 6.4% unfulfilled at 30 days. That represents a significant improvement in compliance with the protocols over 2013 and 2014. The average time taken to receive a compliant response was 22 days in 2015. There has been a huge improvement in the provision of data that need to be given by the Garda Síochána to GSOC. I can only encourage the Garda to improve on the 22 day timeline and to encourage and request the Garda Síochána to make sure there is 100% compliance.

Having said that, the Government appointed Judge Mary Ellen Ring just one year ago.

She is an excellent chairperson of GSOC. As the Deputy said, she spoke in front of the justice committee last week. I will certainly take what she had to say into account. I will meet her to discuss the details of further changes to the legislation that she has said she feels would be worth considering.

GSOC is getting on with a lot of work in the meantime, dealing with many complaints, managing them well and dealing with victims who have come forward. Its work is extremely important. As I said, An Garda Síochána has made considerable improvements in the rate of compliance and with regard to the timeframe. That is what is important. In general, the chairperson of GSOC called for changes to Part 4 of the Garda Síochána Act, which deals with the investigation of complaints, and referred to minor service issues that she felt should be managed by Garda line management, and I certainly agree with her about that. Those issues should be dealt with from a management perspective, as opposed to the disciplinary procedures by which they are dealt at present. I have had several discussions about changing that because it would make the procedures far more efficient if we got to that point.

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