Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)

As Senator Maurice Hayes said, it is important that the Minister, who is ultimately accountable to the Houses of the Oireachtas, would be in a position to make regulations. It does not follow that he or she would decide on the individual promotions within the force.

The amendment provides for the setting up of promotion boards consisting of three members, one of whom shall be a member of the Garda Síochána. I had great misgivings about the Local Appointments Commission operating in the public service and particularly at local authority level. It was open to influence and I heard about that in many instances from county managers through their colleagues who were on the various interview panels.

There is also the question of promoting a person almost exclusively on the basis of an interview. Some people can perform well at interviews while some can get into a state and not perform well. I have seen many people promoted to positions way out of their depth and, unfortunately, in the public service we are stuck with such people. It is not fair to them because they are not capable of doing the job. They are under pressure and stressed if they are interested. If they are not interested they are just waiting to retire.

There is no way promotions would be made in the private sector exclusively on the basis of an interview. The interview would be part of the decision-making process. We need to consider such a process in the public service. The Garda Síochána is such an important arm of the State that it is imperative that people who have the ability to do the job well come through whatever process is there. That process should be transparent and independent, but it should be robust enough to get the right people through.

Interview boards can carry political correctness to extremes and the person who shines at the interview is appointed. Subsequently it is discovered that the person should not have been allowed near the post to which he or she has been appointed. This has happened at local government level. Seeing it in black and white regarding the Garda prompts me to make the point. I see other people who have been involved in local government nodding in agreement. It has happened at local government and I have no doubt it happens throughout the public service.