Results 1-20 of 44 for gsoc segment:8621118

Committee on Public Petitions: An Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Annual Report 2021: Discussion (1 Jun 2023)

Pat Buckley: ..., any member who attempts to participate from outside the precincts will be asked to leave the meeting. The purpose of this meeting is our engagement with An Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC, to discuss the annual report for 2021 and related matters. Before we start, I wish to explain some limitations to parliamentary privilege, and the practice of the Houses as regards...

Committee on Public Petitions: An Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Annual Report 2021: Discussion (1 Jun 2023)

Mr. Hugh Hume: I might start on the question about protected disclosures. Prior to the new legislation coming in, GSOC was a nominated body and commissioners were prescribed persons under the legislation for workers within An Garda Síochána. Workers within An Garda Síochána could come to us and make protected disclosures. That has not, largely, changed with the new...

Committee on Public Petitions: An Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Annual Report 2021: Discussion (1 Jun 2023)

...Mr. Hume said, the Grant Thornton review undertook a comprehensive benchmarking exercise and provided us with a model on which we could base our figures, which was very helpful. At any one time in GSOC, we might have between 900 and 1,200 investigations ongoing and at different stages of the investigative process. At the moment, we have 30 investigators and ten assistant investigators,...

Committee on Public Petitions: An Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Annual Report 2021: Discussion (1 Jun 2023)

Fintan Warfield: According to the documents that were submitted to the committee, there was a marked decrease, approximately 30%, in the number of referrals made to GSOC in 2022 on the preceding 12 months. Why do the witnesses think the number of referrals is down by such a significant degree? Is there any indication of what has driven the decline?

Committee on Public Petitions: An Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Annual Report 2021: Discussion (1 Jun 2023)

...talk about referrals, we are talking about referrals under section 102 of the Act, where a death or serious harm has occurred. These are some of the most tragic and challenging investigations that GSOC is called to encounter. Lives have been changed forever and loved ones have been taken from people. Those cases come to us when the Garda Commissioner, which in practice means a...

Committee on Public Petitions: An Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Annual Report 2021: Discussion (1 Jun 2023)

Fintan Warfield: I am probably way over time but I wish to clarify one matter. Under that Bill, a search of a Garda station by GSOC will be subject to approval by the Garda Commissioner. Is that the case?

Committee on Public Petitions: An Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Annual Report 2021: Discussion (1 Jun 2023)

Tim Lombard: I welcome the witnesses and thank them for their in-depth contribution. Will they give an indication of the number of open files GSOC has at the moment and provide a timeline for the opening and closing of these files? In other words, do we have files that are open two, three or four years? What is the profile of the files that are with GSOC at the moment?

Committee on Public Petitions: An Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Annual Report 2021: Discussion (1 Jun 2023)

Tim Lombard: Regarding the long-term cases, is there a process in place in GSOC to deal with them? For example, is there a review mechanism or a cold case mechanism? What mechanisms does GSOC have to deal with a case that has been open for, say, three years?

Committee on Public Petitions: An Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Annual Report 2021: Discussion (1 Jun 2023)

Tim Lombard: Could we have a breakdown of the timelines for those cases in years? Is that information in the GSOC report?

Committee on Public Petitions: An Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Annual Report 2021: Discussion (1 Jun 2023)

Tim Lombard: Is the figure broken down by GSOC offices rather than police districts?

Committee on Public Petitions: An Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Annual Report 2021: Discussion (1 Jun 2023)

Tim Lombard: Regarding Covid and how it affected GSOC operations, in particular with regard to the report, how did Covid hamper or become in an issue in putting together GSOC's workload and in advancing complaints? Was there a peak or trough in the Covid period? How did Covid affect GSOC's ability to operate and deal with complaints?

Committee on Public Petitions: An Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Annual Report 2021: Discussion (1 Jun 2023)

...that period. However, there were delays with witnesses not wishing to come and be interviewed, Garda members concerned about interviews and our staff’s health and well-being. Covid affected GSOC as it did other organisations but a considerable amount of work went on. On-call remained and staff continued to attend calls and respond to referrals in spite of the pandemic. For a...

Committee on Public Petitions: An Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Annual Report 2021: Discussion (1 Jun 2023)

Tim Lombard: Regarding GSOC's ability to recruit, there is 3.8% unemployment at present in the State. It was announced yesterday as the lowest rate in the history of the State. GSOC has a very unusual recruitment profile, to be honest. We are looking at a certain cohort of individuals who are required to fit the skill set to do this work. Will the witnesses give the committee an indication of the...

Committee on Public Petitions: An Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Annual Report 2021: Discussion (1 Jun 2023)

Mr. Hugh Hume: As Mr. Justice Rory MacCabe mentioned in his coverage, people come and leave. They acquire skills in GSOC that are invaluable to organisations and they move on. That turnover of staff, particularly on the investigation side but also in the wider Civil Service, is a constant drain for us. Ms Woods might talk to this. Thankfully, we have recently secured sanction for a...

Committee on Public Petitions: An Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Annual Report 2021: Discussion (1 Jun 2023)

Tim Lombard: GSOC's work profile is slightly different from the majority.

Committee on Public Petitions: An Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Annual Report 2021: Discussion (1 Jun 2023)

Tim Lombard: ...Síochána, they could benefit from such a course that would have graduates going through who then could become a part of the Garda profile or part of another body such as the military police or GSOC. Is that an avenue we should be discussing?

Committee on Public Petitions: An Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Annual Report 2021: Discussion (1 Jun 2023)

Eugene Murphy: I welcome the GSOC representatives here today. None of us underestimate the challenge of their job, which involves being seen to try to be fair to everybody. This will be a really good exchange. It is something we need to do as public representatives. For starters, and apologies if some of the questions have already been asked, how many people make up the staff of GSOC? I do not need the...

Committee on Public Petitions: An Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Annual Report 2021: Discussion (1 Jun 2023)

Eugene Murphy: In general, how many police officers would be involved in GSOC? Would it be just that amount?

Committee on Public Petitions: An Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Annual Report 2021: Discussion (1 Jun 2023)

Eugene Murphy: I understand that but most are suspended. I accept that it is not GSOC that does it.

Committee on Public Petitions: An Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Annual Report 2021: Discussion (1 Jun 2023)

Eugene Murphy: How long roughly would it last - two or three years? Has any case lasted five to six years where a Garda is still out of work because of he or she is under a GSOC inquiry? I understand there may be.