Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The new Garda divisions coming into place are downright mental. They make no sense in some areas. The one in Cork is particularly bad. The one in my area of Clare and Limerick, from Ballyvaughan to Carrick-on-Suir is insane. The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, AGSI, has raised this issue and said that it will not be able to administer the area. We also have a situation where the headquarters has been taken out of Thurles and moved to Ennis. Therefore, Galway, Ennis and Limerick are headquarters, but the county with the two biggest motorways running straight through it, and one of the largest counties in Ireland, does not. It is crazy from a policing point of view, and it is the AGSI which is saying this and fairly deliberately. This decision must be re-examined.

The Garda Commissioner has questioned the constitutionality of the powers to be given to the new Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission. That is fairly unprecedented. Is he going to be listened to? As the party which brought forward and introduced the Policing Authority some years ago, we highlight the fact that the chair of that body, Mr. Bob Collins, has described the reforms as "a significant step back". Are these stakeholders going to be listened to? We will not be in a position to support a reform regarding changes to the Policing Authority as regards how senior appointments are made, if this aspect is not looked at. These appointments must be made independently given that is what got us into trouble in the first place. Has the Taoiseach examined that aspect?

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