Results 221-240 of 326 for garda speaker:Jack Chambers

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

Jack Chambers: I thank the two delegates for appearing before us and giving a very courageous account of what they have experienced as civilians working in An Garda Síochána. Their presentations illustrate very concerning levels of dysfunction at an organisational level where there is a clear mismatch between what is being pronounced publicly or to us as committee members and what is happening...

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

Jack Chambers: Ms West has also mentioned that there was a conversation in August between the Policing Authority and An Garda Síochána and that contact was made about the information that had been withheld but not by the Policing Authority. Contact was made by someone within An Garda Síochána. Was she concerned that the Policing Authority had made no contact with her or Ms Galligan?

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

Jack Chambers: Yes. An Garda Síochána informed this committee there was an error and that it related to a slight interpretation difference. Do the witnesses want to comment on that?

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

Jack Chambers: ...conditions. My first question relates to an issue I raised with her when she last appeared before the joint committee. I have received feedback from some people who made a complaint to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission that they have hit a brick wall. They have been frustrated and delayed and waited years without a conclusion to their case. When does GSOC expect this to...

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

Jack Chambers: GSOC has requested that section 103A of the Garda Síochána Act, whereby the Garda Commissioner can censor information for the purpose of investigation, be amended in line with the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000. Does that happen much?

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 Homicide Statistics: Discussion (14 Feb 2018)

Jack Chambers: I thank the members of An Garda Síochána for their presence. I send my sympathies to the family of Detective Superintendent Colin Fox. His funeral is this morning. It is a difficult time for people in the force. He served in my area of Blanchardstown in the K district and did distinguished work. It is important we recognise that. I will start with the working group...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Homicide Statistics: Discussion (14 Feb 2018)

Jack Chambers: Dr. Singh mentioned the Garda analysis service unit. How many people work in that unit?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Homicide Statistics: Discussion (14 Feb 2018)

Jack Chambers: Does the Garda Síochána rely on the medical evidence in that case?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Homicide Statistics: Discussion (14 Feb 2018)

Jack Chambers: Does the Garda Síochána not only reply on the medical evidence but the medical presentation of the subsequent facts?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Homicide Statistics: Discussion (14 Feb 2018)

Jack Chambers: Does that happen properly at present? Obviously the Garda Síochána can only be accountable for the information that it receives. Is Mr. Sutton confident that the other side is presenting the subsequent facts? Is that another issue, for which the Garda Síochána would not be directly responsible? Is the public health system presenting what it perceives as a pathological...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Homicide Statistics: Discussion (14 Feb 2018)

Jack Chambers: If the Garda Síochána is in a vacuum of information or if it stands still in the context of information it has previously received and something subsequently happens that person, unless the Garda Síochána is given the follow-through of information, how can the Garda be expected to upgrade a particular crime for what has happened medically? I am not sure whether the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Issues: An Garda Síochána (7 Dec 2017)

Jack Chambers: .... It is important to recognise the risks that they take daily in trying to tackle the issues on the front line. I will start with the Crowe Horwath report. To get it clear in my own head, can the Garda representatives outline the procedure that is now in place around roadside breath testing? Who is the line manager? Who is responsible for ensuring the figures cannot be inflated in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Issues: An Garda Síochána (7 Dec 2017)

Jack Chambers: ...drove the implicit expectation. The Policing Authority and Mr. O'Sullivan, in his own report, mentioned that there were levels of expectation that drove the inflation that we saw. How has the Garda addressed this, for example, with key performance indicators, KPIs, and data oversight? From speaking to many gardaí, I am aware they feel there is an obsession with data. It is not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Issues: An Garda Síochána (7 Dec 2017)

Jack Chambers: ...is a positive change. I agree with Deputy Brophy that it would be a waste of time and resources to spend hundreds of thousands or millions of euro trying to prosecute and nail the grass roots gardaí. That would not achieve some of the reforms of which the witnesses spoke previously. A point I would raise is that recently we saw a fine of €3,000 for superintendents who...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Issues: An Garda Síochána (7 Dec 2017)

Jack Chambers: That is good. I wish to talk about the relationship between An Garda Síochána and the Department of Justice and Equality. We know from the Toland report that operational independence for An Garda Síochána is extremely important in order that it can exercise its public duty. I want to specifically focus on the recent issues we have seen around the setting of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Issues: An Garda Síochána (7 Dec 2017)

Jack Chambers: .... We heard comments from Assistant Commissioner Leahy, for example, in this regard, and I think Assistant Commissioner O'Driscoll referred in his statement to the criteria that were set for the Garda. However, Mr. O'Driscoll is couching his language in cautious terms in respect of the criteria that were imposed on the organisation rather than criteria the Garda should itself set. Are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Issues: An Garda Síochána (7 Dec 2017)

Jack Chambers: ...growth. Does Mr. O'Driscoll agree that this pilot scheme did not incorporate new populations, that is, populations that have grown as a result of urban sprawl to the extent that existing Garda stations cannot provide the level of policing that might be required? Does he agree that the criteria set by Government did not reflect the population change we see and that if senior management...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Issues: An Garda Síochána (7 Dec 2017)

Jack Chambers: That is fine. I will just reiterate what I said the previous time Mr. O'Driscoll came before the committee. I think the Garda has been thrown under a bus by the Department and the Government. The witnesses are here in defence. The Department and the Government drew the dots and forced the Garda to join them. It should be for the Garda to exercise its operational independence to decide...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Issues: An Garda Síochána (7 Dec 2017)

Jack Chambers: ...was that memo authorised when, surely, senior management would have been aware of the Minister authorising additional overtime and there would have been communications between the Department and An Garda Síochána in this regard? Do the witnesses agree that there needs to be a more careful approach to internal memos when they have the wrong message, when overtime is about to be...