Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 8:

In page 22, between lines 3 and 4, to insert the following:

“(3) A reference in this Act—

(a) to the policing priorities shall, where the context admits, be construed as including a reference to the priorities relating to policing services determined by the Policing Authority (within the meaning of Part 4) under section 20 of the Act of 2005 that were in operation immediately before the repeal of that section by section 5, until such time as the Authority determines policing priorities,

(b) to the security priorities shall, where the context admits, be construed as including a reference to the priorities relating to security services determined by the Minister under section 20A of the Act of 2005 that were in operation immediately before the repeal of that section by section 5, until such time as the Minister determines security priorities, (c) to the strategic plan as laid under section 64(1) shall, where the context admits, be construed as including a reference to the strategy statement prepared under section 21 of the Act of 2005 that was in operation immediately before the repeal of that section by section 5, until such time as the strategic plan is so laid,

(d)to the annual service plan as laid under section 65(12) or 66(10) shall, where the context admits, be construed as including a reference to the policing plan prepared under section 22 of the Act of 2005 that was in operation immediately before the repeal of that section by section 5, until such time as the annual service plan is so laid, (e) to the capital plan as laid under section 69(1) shall, where the context admits, be construed as including a reference to such plan for capital expenditure for An Garda Síochána that was in operation immediately before the coming into operation of that section, until such time as the capital plan is so laid, and

(f) to a code of ethics issued by the Authority under section 78 shall, where the context admits, be construed as including a reference to the code established by the Policing Authority (within the meaning of Part 4) under section 17 of the Act of 2005 in so far as the latter was operative immediately before the repeal of that section by section 5 until such time as a code of ethics is so issued.”.

Amendment No. 8 is technical in nature. Its purpose is to bridge the gap between the Government’s obligations under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 and those in the Bill. The Bill will fully repeal the Garda Síochána Act 2005. It will provide for the preparation of policing priorities, security priorities and a strategic plan, a capital plan, an annual service plan and a code of ethics for An Garda Síochána. However, there will be a period following the repeal of the 2005 Act and before the preparation of such priorities and plans under the Bill when the existing documents made under the 2005 Act will need to remain in force. The amendment ensures that prior to such preparation references in the Bill to priorities and plans are understood to include their equivalents under the 2005 Act.

The grouping also includes a consequential amendment, No. 23, to delete subsection 9 of section 78 given that it is now provided for under this particular new subsection.

See this speech in context