Results 1-20 of 73 for gsoc segment:7051825

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (28 Feb 2018)

Jack Chambers: The opening statement referred to breaking the umbilical cord between GSOC and the Department. Is that based on formulating an idealistic governance arrangement, which GSOC would prefer, or is it based on the experience GSOC has had with the Department?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (28 Feb 2018)

Frances Black: Can GSOC go anywhere else for support to try to get information? It is very important, in particular in cases like that of Lucia. Families are impacted and people are anxious and worried. GSOC is trying to do its job and is not getting the information which it needs to determine what is going on. What supports does GSOC have?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (28 Feb 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: ...considerable period of time but I welcome that news and hope the report will be with the family as soon as possible. There has been a fair bit of questioning about resourcing and the ability of GSOC to deal with its workload. One of the points made in the correspondence to the Department that was released under freedom of information was that two of the central objectives of GSOC are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (28 Feb 2018)

Jack Chambers: At a previous justice committee meeting, I asked about resourcing and then Carmel Foley responded how GSOC determines it can maximise its resources to ensure the better use of public funds. There was a standard response that we received from other agencies as to how they would do with what they have. GSOC was not overtly explicit about increased staffing requirements and resources before....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (28 Feb 2018)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: ...series of engagements. In her opening statement Ms Justice Ring indicated that, contrary to the view gardaí would not turn to a body which dealt with complaints about them, members had gone to GSOC to look for help and support in the making of protected disclosures. She indicated a sense or an awareness of some not presenting because the process might take too long. An...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (28 Feb 2018)

Jim O'Callaghan: GSOC was given a commitment on 8 June by the then Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality that it would have the resources it required. Does GSOC have the resources it requires for the purpose of investigating protected disclosures?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (28 Feb 2018)

Jim O'Callaghan: Due to GSOC's current resourcing, if I am a member of An Garda Síochána, I want to make a protected disclosure to GSOC and I write it a letter next Monday, when will that matter be investigated and when will that investigation be completed?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (28 Feb 2018)

Jim O'Callaghan: When Ms Justice Ring says the assistance of the gardaí, is she talking about when GSOC invokes section 74 of the Act and asks the gardaí to assist it because it does not have the resources? Does GSOC do this on a frequent basis?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (28 Feb 2018)

Jim O'Callaghan: Does Ms Justice Ring think it would be preferable if GSOC did not have to avail of Garda resources for the purpose of conducting GSOC investigations?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (28 Feb 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: To be clear, is it still GSOC's view that without the additional resources, particularly with regard to protected disclosures, GSOC will not be in a position to properly fulfil its key objectives?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (28 Feb 2018)

Jack Chambers: In the media and elsewhere, GSOC has been referred to as a watchdog on a tight leash. Has GSOC felt the leash at times?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (28 Feb 2018)

Jack Chambers: The Minister has said he has an open mind on GSOC's independence, as well as providing it with sufficient resources and staff numbers. Has GSOC received anything recently from the Minister which would give it confidence that it will have its requests met?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (28 Feb 2018)

Jack Chambers: GSOC has also requested section 102B be amended around the censuring of the Garda Commissioner. Is that based on having a proper legislative framework in place or does GSOC have recent examples where it felt this needs to be changed?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (28 Feb 2018)

Jack Chambers: GSOC is contacted by the Policing Authority on the promotions list. Where there has been a delay to a complaint made, how does GSOC respond to that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (28 Feb 2018)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: Our recommendation No. 1 continued:Enhancing powers for GSOC in relation to reviewing investigations. In unsupervised investigations, a complainant has a right to have GSOC review the investigation. However, the outcome stands. Has anything changed?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (28 Feb 2018)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: That is literally what the recommendation made by GSOC is all about. In terms of recommendation No. 3, there is a call for GSOC to be empowered to accept and undertake to investigate matters dated beyond the current timeline limitation. If I remember correctly that may be six months.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (28 Feb 2018)

Jim O'Callaghan: GSOC wanted 12 people to deal with that because its workload increased after being given responsibility for protected disclosures in 2014. GSOC had a meeting with the then Minister for Justice and Equality on 11 January 2017. What was the response of the Minister and the Department to its request for 12 new staff?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (28 Feb 2018)

Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring: We have five gardaí at the moment working under the supervision of GSOC in the Templemore case. In relation to the remaining staff, I think we have now got perhaps six former members and that is all. They have been there since the outset of GSOC. We have not taken on any former members in recent times.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (28 Feb 2018)

...weather has defeated him. We are to be joined in the future by a third commissioner as the recruiting process finished recently. Representatives of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC, were last before the Joint Committee on Justice and Equality on 21 September 2016, at which stage a number of the issues raised by the commission were discussed. We were glad to see...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight and Accountability: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (28 Feb 2018)

Jim O'Callaghan: GSOC is clear as to what the consequence will be if it does not get this resourcing. It wrote at the end of its submission to the Department: "A decision not to increase GSOC's staffing resources at this crucial time will undoubtedly result in the organisation’s failure to meet its obligations to the public and to its staff." It is categoric that this increase in resources is...