Results 181-200 of 1,065 for garda speaker:Simon Harris

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: ...note. At a high level, I will point out that in reviewing the amendment, my view is that it is unnecessary in the context of this section, which essentially restates an existing section of the Garda Síochána Act 2005. As Deputy Ó Ríordáin says, the amendment provides that nothing in section 3 of the Bill, which relates to the definition of security services other...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: It would be more accurate to say I am not sure it is required, full-stop. I certainly do not believe it fits well in this section because of this section being a lifting of section 3A of the Garda Síochána Act 2005, as amended. The more general point that I did not relate in my summarised version is that the powers available to members of An Garda Síochána are already...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: ...with, communities" and providing "policing services ... within a national framework while having a particular regard to communities". Perhaps most importantly, a new provision provides that "every member of garda personnel is required to act professionally, ethically, with integrity and in a manner that protects and vindicates human rights". There is quite a significant amount of change...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputies. Of course we always reflect. It goes without saying that every member of the committee supports in full An Garda Síochána. I note Deputy Ó Ríordáín's comments and I do not in any way doubt anybody's bona fides on this. We live in a country where confidence in our police, in An Garda Síochána, is extraordinarily high relative to...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: ...to require only the use of an Irish-language name for a statutory body, other State body, or Irish language logos and branding created by the Bill. I am proud, as an Irish citizen, of the name An Garda Síochána. It think it means a lot to us. There is a lot of national pride in it. I certainly do not wish to see any deviation from that. I am also aware, while it may not...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: ...;. There are three amendments in this group. Amendment No. 6 is a technical amendment and serves to remove an unnecessary comma. Amendment No. 58 relates to section 78 and concerns a code of ethics for members of Garda personnel by the policing and community safety authority. The Garda Commissioner is required to ensure that all members have read and understand the code. Subsection...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: ...and then revert to the Deputy. I acknowledge the concern behind the amendment. The provision in section 77 of the Bill hopefully addresses the Deputy’s concerns. This section requires the Garda Commissioner to ensure that statistical information concerning offences, criminal proceedings and the state of crime in the State is compiled, stored and made available to the Central...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: ...reporting systems, my genuine concern, just to be helpful, is that the effect of the amendment would be that the board would not be obliged to have regard to the resources expected to be available to An Garda Síochána in ensuring the integrity of accounting, financial systems, risk, financial and other controls, and compliance with the law and relevant standards. We are coming...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: ...the specifics of the amendment, I will address the issues Deputies Costello and Ó Ríordáin have raised. There can be no tolerance for the sort of conduct both Deputies referred to within An Garda Síochána. Without getting into the individual case, I share Deputy Ó Ríordáin's general sense of revulsion with regard to any such act. This is an issue...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: ...;. These amendments relate to sections 18, 126 and 234, respectively. The first amendment extends section 18(2)(c), which excludes persons convicted on indictment of an offence from membership of the board of An Garda Síochána, a committee of the board or the audit committee of An Garda Síochána, to include foreign convictions. The purpose of the amendment is to put...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: ...concerns the powers available under the section to a judge who has been invited by the Chief Justice to hold an inquiry into any matter, as the Deputy said, giving rise to a proposal to remove a Garda Commissioner or deputy Garda commissioner from office under section 31. Section 31 sets out the procedures which may give rise to the judge being invited to carry out an inquiry by the Chief...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: ...legal advice available to me. I am also aware that, beyond that legal advice, there is a clear democratic safeguard, which is the powers a Government has relating to the removal or suspension of a Garda Commissioner. The amendment raises an important issue and, while we cannot envisage it today, it is right and proper in progressing this legislation to tease these things through. I...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: I will take the amendments in the order we discussed them. I thank Deputy Daly for amendment No. 30, which relates to the phrase "to seek" and concerns the specific function of the Garda Commissioner that he or she is "to seek to secure the continuous improvement of the policing and security of the State". I understand what he is trying to achieve, in that by removing the phrase "to seek"...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: ...Deputy Alan Shatter too. I do not say this to be overly provocative but some of the phraseology used, which I will not repeat, is just not what I recognise in any way, shape or form as how An Garda Síochána carries out its business. Our Garda, regardless of the Minister or the Commissioner, is entirely independent in its investigations, which I am beyond satisfied of. Our...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: ...in discharging their respective functions and responsibilities in respect of policing and security in the State. Chapter 12 of the commission on the future of policing report, noted that an Garda Síochána and other criminal justice services are and should be accountable to the democratically elected Government of the State. The role of holding An Garda to account is exercised...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: ...that engagement went. That is the first thing I want to say. After Deputy McNamara's comments, I do not need to repeat the purpose of the amendments but I will provide the rationale. The number of Garda staff has increased substantially in recent years and it will continue to grow. This is in the context of a long-standing policy over many governments to increase the civilianisation...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: I invite people to look at the composition of the management structure of An Garda Síochána.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: ...to one more matter on the off-chance that people follow these debates. I need to refer to one more point, the very fair point the Deputy makes with regard to promotional opportunities with An Garda Síochána and the question of whether you need to be a sworn member of An Garda Síochána as distinct from a member of Garda staff. I meet these people on a regular basis....