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

I thank all Members for their contributions to what has been a very balanced debate. I also take the opportunity, as Deputy Jim O'Callaghan did, to welcome Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring, with Mr. Toland and other representatives of GSOC. I thank them publicly for their work and leadership.

As everyone has agreed, oversight and accountability are extremely important. Equally, members of An Garda Síochána have to be allowed to get on with the task of meeting the daily challenges in their work, as Deputy Bernard J. Durkan, in particular, emphasised. We have to acknowledge the challenges and demands posed by that work. As any objective person would conclude, at this point there is considerable oversight. There is the Garda Inspectorate, GSOC and the Policing Authority. Of course, An Garda Síochána also has its own disciplinary measures and there is the work of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice and Equality. It is important to have an appropriate balance. We have to have the right bodies in place. As a number of Deputies said, we have to be absolutely sure the recommendations they make and the changes to which they point are implemented. We will need to spend a considerable amount of time examining the issue of implementation. The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice and Equality will undoubtedly also be doing this. Clearly, change within these organisations and the legislative changes we can make are an important aspect. Following my most recent meeting with GSOC, I highlighted that it was time for a review. It will be a ten-year review which will, of course, be informed very considerably by the work of the committee. I intend to go to the Government very shortly to get permission to produce the heads of legislation in that regard, on which I have no doubt we will have detailed discussions.

I want to make a general point about oversight bodies, and I saw this in the work of the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, when I was Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. The relationships that are formed between, for example, An Garda Síochána and these bodies will go through different stages. To take the example of the Policing Authority, the relationship between the two bodies is at a very early stage and we have to give it time to bed down and to see where it goes in the future. The point I am making is that these relationships are developmental, and they need to be developmental. We must assess and monitor them and, as I said, reform is an essential part of that. It would be surprising if we did not talk about changes and developments in the legislation, as Deputy Ó Caoláin was suggesting, in the report with regard to the various bodies.

Suffice it to say that I fully endorse what people are saying with regard to transparency, accountability and oversight. We have come from a period some time ago where that was not the case. Undoubtedly, we have seen poor practice and the need for change. The more transparency and accountability that comes into the system, the better the service the public will get and the more satisfying it will be to be a member of An Garda Síochána. Quite a number of members have emphasised the need for cultural change, and management have to lead that cultural change. It is challenging, but I know from dealing with management of An Garda Síochána that it has a huge amount of experience. With regard to talk of a clean sweep, I believe cultural change is necessary but we must also recognise the level of experience and the contribution that has been made by so many people. That is not to sweep anything under the carpet or to say that change is not needed but we should take a balanced approach to this. We are all very aware that if one operates in a climate of constant criticism and undermining, it can be very hard to do one's job and the citizens of this country need the members of An Garda Síochána to be out there delivering effective services. Quite a number of Deputies spoke about the regard with which the members of An Garda Síochána are held but it is clear that changes are necessary. We have seen examples of poor practice in reports we have discussed in this House in very recent years, so there is work to be done. I believe that is recognised by all.

I thank the bodies involved in oversight and accountability. They do an incredibly important job. There is very good leadership in each of them. At the same time, we will examine if there are things we as legislators should do to ensure that they can do their job more effectively. That certainly will be in the interest of citizens as well.

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