Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)

This amendment relates to the nuts and bolts of how the committees will be established and function. Senators who debated this issue on Second Stage will laud the Minister for accepting the point that the county development boards should not carry out this function. County development boards mainly comprise civil servants, including gardaí, as well as representatives of the IDA, Forfás, Teagasc, the VECs and a range of other bodies and would not have constituted a suitable forum or vehicle for what is intended in this Bill. Therefore, I welcome the fact that amendments Nos. 46 and 47 remove the county and city development boards from the equation.

I am conscious that amendment No. 37 changes the definition of "local authority", which will affect how these committees will operate. In that context, I am firmly of the view, as are other Senators, that the body should be constituted of elected public representatives and members of the Garda. Nothing in the provision precludes liaison with other groups; the committee can obviously effect such liaison. I do not agree with Senator Tuffy's amendment because she may be misinterpreting the provision. The establishment of the committee will be on a county or city council area basis and will comprise members of the relevant local authorities.

Senator Maurice Hayes correctly alluded to coinciding the geographic areas of the local government system with those of the Garda, but that will not be possible. For example, the chief superintendent in Gorey, County Wexford, covers quite a significant part of south Wicklow. I would like to see this system organised on a county basis. In such circumstances, a joint policing committee in County Wexford would be made up of gardaí and members of Wexford County Council as well as Gorey, Enniscorthy, Wexford and New Ross town councils. The committee should also comprise a workable number of members; it should not comprise so many as to render it unworkable.

The amendment provides for the establishment of sub-committees on a geographic basis. Much of the good work of such committees will be done within their own geographic areas. There are now area committees in every local authority area. This is a unique opportunity to create a partnership between the Garda and community leaders, namely, elected councillors and Oireachtas Members, which will create a great deal of support and goodwill for the force and will provide a flow of information.

I used this approach when a particular drug problem arose on a housing estate in my area. We involved the Garda and the local people in a committee meeting. There were no fanfares because the people were concerned about harassment from those involved with drugs. Nevertheless, a tremendous exchange of information took place, which proved to be quite effective because it focused the Garda's attention on that area. Moreover, the local people took some confidence from the exercise, which gave them a conduit through which they could liaise with the gardaí without going to the Garda station. A great deal of good work can be done in this manner. The county council and the Garda have also used this approach effectively through an area committee on anti-social behaviour, which was a major problem for some people living in local authority housing. This was achieved quietly and without newspaper headlines, but was quite effective. I see tremendous potential in this concept. How we shape this process will have a direct impact on its success. Therefore, I support amendment No. 45 in respect of subsection (2)(a).

Amendment No. 45, as it applies to subsection (2)(b), addresses how many members should comprise the committees. The question is how those members will be appointed and by whom. Will it be by the local authority, the Garda superintendent or the Minister? My firm view is that they should be nominees of the local authority. For example, Wexford County Council would nominate so many members, as prescribed by the Minister, to the joint policing committee. In such circumstances, New Ross, Enniscorthy, Wexford and Gorey would also have nominees. It would then fall to the committee to decide on dividing into sub-committees and so on. By proceeding in this manner, one will secure greater commitment because councillors will opt to become part of the committee and will therefore have an interest in policing to begin with. As with other committees of the council, once local authority members are part of it, they will function effectively and constructively.

The appointment of a chairperson is important. The chairman of any committee will, to a large degree, determine its success or failure. Again, a decision must be made as to who appoints the chairman. It could be the Minister, but again I favour the local authority exercising this function in the same way as it appoints the chairman of an SPC. One of the issues which will be addressed at the first annual general meeting is the appointment of the chairmen and other members of the joint policing committees. I strongly recommend that the term of the committee coincides with that of the local authority and that, at the first AGM, the members of the committee are nominated and remain in place for five years unless someone resigns and is replaced. This approach will ensure commitment to the committee because people are interested and will be in place for five years. Moreover, they will have an opportunity do some homework and make a contribution.

Senator Tuffy also asked if people other than gardaí and local representatives should be involved on these committees. I do not believe they should. The gardaí want to develop a relationship with and ensure that local public representatives are responsible, supportive and discreet. This will create an openness which will assist the whole process. This joint policing committee can interact with various groups such as victim support and residents groups, which would form part of the function of such committees. There is tremendous scope in this proposal, which I support. However, I ask the Minister to consider the provision between now and Report Stage so that we can put a bit of meat on the bones in order to shape it. I am anxious that this be done in a structured way which will assist the process.