Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is going to be a busy couple of weeks. I am aware of the work done on this. It needs to be considered very carefully because it is quite unusual that the investigating authority or service is also the prosecuting service. That is the case regarding many aspects of what An Garda Síochána does. Other jurisdictions have a different system that has served them better. The recommendation that needs to be examined comes from recognising that the current process has its shortcomings. I look forward to the full report. I believe there was a report on this in the mid- to late 1990s and there was a recommendation that no changes be made. Circumstances have changed and advanced since then and I believe we seriously need to reconsider the role of the Garda in carrying out prosecutions, particularly serious criminal prosecutions.

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