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Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (5 Feb 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Is that agreed? Agreed. The next petition is No. 00007/13, from Mr. Paddy Lambe, regarding concerns over inappropriate standards related to dive industry legislation. The petitioner has issues with the proposed new dive industry regulations which, in his view, will impose additional requirements concerning certificates of medical fitness to dive. The concern is that recreational...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (5 Feb 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Is it agreed that the committee will issue correspondence to the Minister for Finance seeking a response on this matter? Agreed. The next petition is No. 00018/13, from Ms Margaret Gilbert of the Killygordon and Crossroads Youth Club in County Donegal, calling for the introduction of legislation to make cyberbullying a criminal offence. The petition also seeks the banning of anonymous...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (5 Feb 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: We are in public session. We have had the opportunity to discuss and deliberate on a number of the petitions. We will now relay the decisions our committee has made in regard to them. The first petition is No. 00023/13 from Mr. Frank Mulcahy, former head of ISME, regarding the alleged reneging by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation on an agreement made with Deputy Ruairí...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Small Claims and Payment Procedures: Motion (5 Feb 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: As a Deputy representing a Border constituency, I am well aware from my conversations with business people of their concerns about pursuing cases across the Border. With regard to building an all-Ireland economy that is fair and provides people with appropriate recourse, I have no difficulty with the regulation and with supporting the Government's proposal to opt in and engage in...

Other Questions: Penal Policy Review Group Report (5 Feb 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: 7. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he plans to implement the five recommendations contained within the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality’s report on penal reform. [5333/14]

Other Questions: Penal Policy Review Group Report (5 Feb 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: We had some engagement on this already, but I would like to say that our committee worked very hard over quite a period of time putting together our penal reform report, and we have five key recommendations, including the reduction of prison numbers by one third through decarceration over the next ten years, by examining the Fines Bill and by not imprisoning people for minor offences. The...

Other Questions: Penal Policy Review Group Report (5 Feb 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I am sure the Minister read the reports in the Irish Examiner about Cork Prison around the Christmas period, which referred to the frustration of the governor that judges continue to send prisoners to the jail for non-payment of fines, which is farcical because sometimes people are released on the same day, or stay overnight or for a few days, which causes real problems. Committee members...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Oversight (5 Feb 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: We certainly need to get the balance right between having a genuinely independent police service and democratic accountability. That is a given. We can achieve that. The Policing Board model in the North is a good one. There is no doubt that the PSNI is accountable not just to the Policing Board but to the Assembly. With the right will we can achieve that. Members of the Garda...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Oversight (5 Feb 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I am talking about the North of Ireland.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Oversight (5 Feb 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I accept there are two challenges, ensuring that democratic accountability continues, and the fairly unique situation that the Garda Commissioner has control over policing and intelligence. The Minister should keep an open mind and engage with the need to have a truly independent policing authority, as seen by the people, separate from Government in terms of budgets and so on, and which...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Oversight (5 Feb 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: That is not what I am saying. The Minister is wilfully ignoring what I am saying.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Oversight (5 Feb 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: The Minister is the most skilled man I have ever seen at answering a question that was not put.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Oversight (5 Feb 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: 5. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to introduce amending legislation to ensure the independence of An Garda Síochána based on other policing models on this island or elsewhere in Europe. [5630/14]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Oversight (5 Feb 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: As I said earlier, the events of the past 18 months give us cause to engage in real reflection. As the Minister knows, the Garda Síochána Act 2005 emerged after the Morris tribunal when there was a need for huge change. The 2005 Act certainly represented considerable change, but we are in a period when we again need to look at that model. What are the Minister's thoughts in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Penalty Points System (5 Feb 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I request that an exception be made.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Penalty Points System (5 Feb 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I am sure all the Members present would agree to an extension of the time.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Penalty Points System (5 Feb 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: The Minister should reflect on the events of the past 18 months, particularly in terms of the relationship between the Government and senior members of An Garda Síochána dealing with legitimate complaints. I reiterate that vast majority of serving members of An Garda Síochána have done no wrong. However, they are hurt and affected by the issues under discussion. When...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Penalty Points System (5 Feb 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: The Minister has been critical of members of Committee of Public Accounts and has said that he referred the matter to GSOC in the public interest due to the direction in which it was going. He now says that the Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality should have dealt with it. That committee and the Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions were both of the view that GSOC was...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Penalty Points System (5 Feb 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: 2. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will ensure that the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission has access to the PULSE system during the investigation it initiated last week into the administration of fixed-charge penalties. [5629/14]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Penalty Points System (5 Feb 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: 12. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality with reference to section 102 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the cause of the delay in referring the ongoing allegations of malpractice in relation to the fixed charge penalty notice system until now; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5331/14]