Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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65. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality when a new Garda Commissioner will be appointed; if the Commissioner will be appointed in advance of the establishment of an independent policing authority; if she will outline the appointment process and those persons involved in the appointment of the Commissioner; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26909/14]

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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Will the Minister outline the appointment process for the vacant permanent post of Garda Commissioner? Last Friday, she made a public comment on it. In particular, will she outline the steps in the process and who the central people will be in the process? Two weeks ago I met representatives of the independent Northern Ireland Policing Board and they said the chairperson and chief executive of the board was assisted by a human resources consultant based in Dublin, whom I will not name, in making appointments.

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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As part of our comprehensive programme of justice reform, the Government has recently announced that, in future, the post of Garda Commissioner will be filled by way of an open competition, including with respect to the current vacancy. The comprehensive programme of justice reform also includes the proposed establishment of an independent Garda authority, which I hope to have up and running by the end of the year. These two reforms are among the most significant in the history of the State in regard to policing.

The competition for the current vacancy will be organised by the Public Appointments Service. The process will be transparent and will seek candidates of the highest calibre. As previously indicated, it is intended that the competition process will commence towards the end of next month, with advertisements being placed. The fact that the recruitment competition will be an open rather than a purely internal competition means that the recruitment process will take a number of months, so that the final selection will take place towards the end of the year, around the time of the establishment of the new independent Garda authority.

I am hearing different views on this. While some people are calling for the post to be filled sooner rather than later, it is important that this process take account of the establishment of the new Garda authority and its intended role in the appointment of senior Garda posts, including that of Commissioner. While the authority’s role in this regard will be subject to careful consideration during the ongoing preparation of the establishing legislation, the fact that the recruitment competition will proceed in parallel with the process of establishing the authority allows an opportunity for the emerging and developing body to inform the recruitment process.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

The comprehensive reform programme is being overseen by the Cabinet Committee on Justice Reform and is being further informed by ongoing consultations by both the Government and the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality. As part of these consultations, last Friday I hosted a consultation seminar on justice reform in Farmleigh, attended by more than 100 participants, including representatives of the Deputy’s office. The feedback from the seminar will inform the work of establishing the authority and decisions on its role and functions regarding matters such as appointment of senior Garda posts, including that of Garda Commissioner.

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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I raised this matter in the recent debate on Deputy Ross's Bill. Has the Minister considered the appointment of an interim board before the establishment of the independent policing body? If the Public Appointments Service is running the recruitment process, will its selections be presented to the new, independent policing authority at the end of the year? Will the independent policing authority have an input into the process? If the independent policing authority is to have confidence in the new Garda Commissioner or chief of police, it is reasonable to expect it to be central to the process that identifies such a person. Would the Minister appoint an interim board and acting CEO to assist the Public Appointments Service? What did the Minister mean when she said it would be a transparent process?

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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By "transparent" I mean that advertisements will be placed internationally and the Public Appointments Service has a very clear process that will be followed in terms of recommendations. The Deputy's question is slightly premature in that the Cabinet took a decision on an independent policing authority, and both processes - the appointment of the Garda Commissioner and the development of the authority - are moving along in parallel. We have yet to develop the precise detail of the legislation that will lead to the establishment of the independent Garda authority. The Deputy's questions were central to the consultation seminar I held last Friday in Farmleigh and to the justice committee's deliberations and visits to Belfast and Scotland.

From the way independent Garda authorities are handled in different countries, it is very clear that the process varies in terms of involvement by governments, involvement by policing authorities, the way appointments are handled and the personnel involved. In Farmleigh on Friday, all the stakeholders asked about the role and responsibility of a new Garda authority and its relationship with the Government, the Oireachtas, the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission and the Garda Inspectorate. Towards the end of the year we will, hopefully, be able to move forward with certain elements of the Garda authority, whether appointing a chairman or taking other decisions. We will ensure that, with the way the two processes are developing, there is the potential for the kind of overlap the Deputy describes.

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister's answer. Appointing a chairman designate of the new policing authority should be considered as part of the process, as it might get over the concerns I raised. Below the level of Garda Commissioner there are several vacancies, including assistant commissioner and chief superintendent. The recently departed Garda Commissioner, Martin Callinan, had been central in a number of interviews to form panels to fill a number of these vacancies. Bearing in mind where we are going with the independent policing authority and the appointment of a Garda Commissioner, what is the status of these vacancies? I asked this of the Minister's predecessor, Deputy Shatter. On our trip to Belfast and Edinburgh we learned that the independent policing boards are responsible for appointing the chiefs of police and their most senior people. We have vacancies in the most senior ranks of Garda under the Garda Commissioner. Will the interviews already undertaken be set aside? Will we begin a new competition for those vacancies, and who will run it?

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I welcome last week's promotions to the ranks of Garda sergeants and inspectors and the Garda Síochána has generally welcomed them.

The matter about which the Deputy asked is still being discussed. The same considerations apply as I set out in relation to the development of the authority. There is no decision on that issue right now; it is a matter under consideration.