Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Sinn Féin has long been of the view that what we need in the South is a Patten-type approach which was so central to the reform of policing in the North. It is in that context that we welcome the establishment of the Policing Authority, for which we had long called, and the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland. If there is to be the Patten-type shift that apparently is desired by all, including the Government, the commission needs to be given full scope to consider all of the matters in question. They include what role the Garda Commissioner and senior staff in An Garda Síochána should have.

The Minister's response confirms what I received in response to a written question a number of weeks ago. The commission is to finalise its work in September 2019. It is likely to be six months from a point a number of weeks from now before a Garda Commissioner will be appointed; therefore, realistically we are talking about June or July next year when a Commissioner will be appointed. Within weeks of that happening, the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland will come forward with its report which potentially will contain radically different proposals for the role of the Commissioner, thus creating greater uncertainty. It is my view that the full scope of the role will be better understood once the commission has completed its work.

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