Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

Section 10 amends the Garda Síochána Act 1989 by adding joint investigation teams to the list of overseas organisations or units with which a member of the Garda Síochána may serve. The proposed amendment seeks to further amend that Act by providing that it should explicitly state that the Garda disciplinary regulations apply to gardaí referred to in section 3 of the Garda Síochána Act 1989, that is, gardaí serving overseas on United Nations missions, as liaison officers with Europol or as members of a joint investigation team.

Existing Garda disciplinary procedures already apply to Garda members outside this jurisdiction. Disciplinary powers vested in the Garda authorities are not bound by geographical limits. An explicit statement in the legislation to the effect that disciplinary regulations apply in these instances could give rise to the suggestion that they might not apply in other instances. Such an implication is undesirable. Gardaí travel abroad and are stationed abroad from time to time for purposes other than those enumerated in section 3 of the 1989 Act and they are all subject disciplinary regulations at all times. This amendment is unnecessary in that it seeks to make provision for something that already exists.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.