Results 2,101-2,120 of 21,514 for speaker:Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Homicide Statistics: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2018)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I refer to the newly established working group, towards which the delegates have indicated some positiveness and good hope that things will transpire as they wish them to be. When they make reference to a full and independent review, is it an external examination in tandem or are they happy that the current signalled work programme, under the newly established and newly led internal body, is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Homicide Statistics: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2018)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: The delegates indicated that they were pleased to have had the opportunity to present before the committee. I want them to know that, if things do not unfold in the way they would wish, the door to the committee will always be open to them in the future. If matters do not progress in the way they should, we will be very happy as a committee to play our part. I hope that will be some...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Homicide Statistics: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2018)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I thank the Senator. On behalf of the committee, I thank Ms West and Ms Galligan for joining and addressing us so comprehensively on these important issues. Before we adjourn, I take the opportunity to wish everybody a happy St. Patrick's Day.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Business of Joint Committee (28 Feb 2018)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: As we have a quorum, we shall commence in public session. I remind members to please switch off their mobile phones as they interfere with the recording equipment. I have not been advised of any apologies. We will now briefly go into private session.

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

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: The purpose of today's engagement is to meet the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission to revisit the issue of Garda oversight and accountability and look at the progress made in implementing the recommendations of the joint committee as published in December 2016 in its report on the subject. We shall also consider GSOC's proposals for stand-alone legislation for it. We note the...

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

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I thank Ms Justice Ring. It was a comprehensive opening statement and I thank her for it. It would be only right to wish everyone on board the GSOC ship a happy birthday, having passed that ten-year milestone. I will open the floor to members. The first to have indicated was Deputy O'Callaghan.

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

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I thank Ms Justice Ring for her responses, particularly regarding the latter matter. The family is in my constituency and we have regular engagement with a heartbroken mother. That is the only way the committee could describe her so I very much welcome that finality in that matter will present shortly.

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

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I wish to make a last few points, Ms Justice Ring. In December 2016, we made recommendations and we are now very anxious. We have made it a priority job of work, at the commencement of 2018, to review progress on our recommendations that cover the areas of GSOC, the Policing Authority and the Garda Inspectorate. We will meet each of those entities, respectively, over the coming period, and...

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

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: That is more legislation. In terms of informal resolution, GSOC does not yet have the power to decide whether informal resolution should be attempted.

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 refers to the improved oversight of complaints for investigation under the Act referred to An Garda Síochána and reads:At present, only when the complaint indicates a member of An Garda Síochána may have committed a criminal offence does GSOC investigate directly, investigation of other complaints is undertaken by a Garda Síochána...

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 remains also the case. It still is the case that there is a requirement for "a second senior Garda officer to review the investigation file in supervised investigations". That also stands.

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

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: In that case I shall move on from those latter number of bullet points in recommendation No. 1. It is more than past time that we sought an update from the Minister for Justice and Equality on his intentions and that of his Department regarding the recommendations. I would like to share with the delegation the fact that we have had significant success with a number of other reports, that we...

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

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: Yes. Our recommendation was, nevertheless, based on fact. It is just in terms of the passage of time element that GSOC felt that the catch-all situation was that someone under investigation should not find a bolthole to exit.

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)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: Did that empowerment arise over the period since we last met here?

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

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: On that point, was it always 12 months over the------

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

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: Yes. I recall that it was a six month period. It is welcome that it at least has been extended, but our recommendation still stands. My questions in that regard are to help the committee in pressing these matters with the Minister, which we hope to do at the end of this series of engagements. In her opening statement Ms Justice Ring indicated that, contrary to the view gardaí would...

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

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I accept that and join Ms Justice Ring in welcoming it. I do not wish to put her in an uncomfortable position, but is there any indication, even anecdotally, that there are people who have not taken the first step?

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

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: On behalf of the committee, I thank Ms Justice Ring for her attendance against a very difficult weather backdrop. I thank her for her opening statement and very insightful responses. Such an insight was expected as it has been well established in her previous attendances at the committee. I thank her colleague, Ms Claire Grady, for joining us and wish both of them well in their continued...