Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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2. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will support an alteration to the policy in relation to the arming of gardaí; if she will support more gardaí being armed with firearms or tasers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60564/22]

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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What is the Minister's position on the arming of gardaí? What is her position as regards the idea of more gardaí being armed with firearms or tasers? I am coming from a position of opposing steps in that direction. It has been a matter of some public debate recently with the comments of the Tánaiste so I am interested in hearing the Minister's position.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. An Garda Síochána is a community police service with strong links to the communities it serves, built on a culture of policing by consent.  Over the last century, from the turbulent years of the Civil War and through the devastating years of the Troubles, the Garda has remained a largely unarmed police service.  The resolve and vision set out by the first Garda Commissioner, Michael Staines, that An Garda Síochána would succeed "not by force of arms or numbers, but on their moral authority as servants of the people" is as true today as it was 100 years ago.  That An Garda Síochána has remained unarmed is a tribute to the organisation and to the Irish people.  A deep connection to community and a commitment to service is embedded in the culture of An Garda Síochána and is something the organisation is rightly proud of.  The Commissioner is committed to ensuring the organisation continues to evolve to remain representative of all the diverse communities it serves.

  That said, it is undoubtedly the case that gardaí operate in often dangerous environments and it is important that they have the equipment they need to do their jobs safely, not to mention effectively.  Units such as the emergency response unit and the armed response units are central to the Garda response to serious crime and are trained and equipped accordingly. I am assured by the Garda Commissioner that the health and safety of gardaí is of paramount and ongoing importance to him. It is clearly imperative that Garda members are issued with appropriate equipment for their duties. To ensure this, there is a constant review by Garda authorities of all operational and protective equipment, including the use of tasers and other incapacitants.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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I am glad to see the Minister opposing, in effect, the position being argued by the Tánaiste. I want to make some points about tasers because this is part of the debate now. The Garda Representative Association, GRA, has supported arming gardaí with tasers. That would be a step in the wrong direction. In the United States, more than 1,000 people have been killed by police, the bulk of them since 2000, through the use of tasers. Some 90% of those victims were unarmed. This applies particularly to vulnerable groups, such as children, pregnant people, elderly people and people who would be particularly thin. It is possible to recognise all of those things but you cannot identify people who have a history of heart disease or seizures or who have pacemakers and so on. What is the Minister's position on the question of tasers in particular?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy referred to the Tánaiste. What he said, very clearly, when answering a direct question, was that it was a matter for the Garda Commissioner, which it is. He said he would consider any request from the Garda Commissioner. I believe the strength of the Garda Síochána has been through policing by consent. It is an unarmed police force. We have heard many times in this centenary year that the Garda ethos is based not on force of arms but on the relationship with the community. Of course we all want to keep our streets safe. We want to provide the Garda with the resources to do that but crime is changing all the time and we have to embrace new technology and ensure our gardaí have the most up-to-date technology they need to fight crime. That includes the roll-out of body cameras for members of An Garda Síochána. This Government is committed to providing the Garda with the resources it needs to tackle crime.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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I might come back some other day to discuss the question of body cameras. I want to use my remaining time to ask about the killing of George Nkencho by gardaí two years ago now. George's family were given to understand by the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC, that every attempt would be made to complete that investigation within a year of the killing, which would have been December of last year. The investigation has dragged on and on. I understand that it has now concluded and that the findings have been submitted for extended peer and legal review. I also understand that when that is complete, the report will go to the three commissioners to evaluate and decide the next steps. Where is that process at the moment? When will the peer and legal review be complete? When will the findings go to the three commissioners? What kind of timescale are we looking at for the release of this report and proposals?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I will be answering a further question on this matter later on. I am advised by GSOC that it has deployed significant resources to the investigation and that the investigation is at an advanced stage. I understand that a draft report, pursuant to section 101 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005, has been prepared and is currently subject to internal and external peer review, as well as legal review.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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We will now go back to Question No. 1, which is being taken by Deputy Daly on behalf of Deputy Martin Kenny.