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

I have already made my position and that of the Government in respect of the Garda Commissioner very clear . The Government established the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland under the chairmanship of Kathleen O'Toole. Deputy Wallace comes to the House and puts various names on the record. He does so again and again. I believe that we ought to observe due process.

In respect of the commission, Kathleen O'Toole is a person of the highest calibre. She is uniquely qualified to take on this task. The other 11 members of the commission are all highly respected in their diverse fields. We are fortunate that they have agreed to bring the wealth of their experience to the task of shaping the future of policing in Ireland.

The Government, along with the support of many in the House, decided to establish the commission because we took the view that it was appropriate to examine a range of issues relating to all aspects of policing in Ireland. As the Taoiseach mentioned yesterday, these include: whether the combination of State security and policing should be in the one force; an examination of management and the kind of management supports that are necessary within a police force to be equipped to deal with the challenges that, sadly, we saw in Manchester this week; and the other challenges from international criminal gangs and cybercrime. These are all new challenges facing policing. It is altogether appropriate that we decided to establish the commission. It is fully independent and will, I believe, provide a useful service for the future of policing in the country. That is the only job of the commission and that is the job that it will do.

In the meantime, a vast amount of policing work needs to be done in the country, not least that which relates to international terrorism and the threat posed by those who carried out the appalling attack in Manchester this week. There are many other policing challenges. We should support An Garda Síochána in the vital work of securing the peace and keeping our communities and citizens safe. Of course, inquiries are being carried out by the Charleton tribunal and the Committee of Public Accounts.

I suggest that we await the outcome of these inquiries before there is any further comment on the particular issues they are examining.

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