Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

That is the type of reform we need to consider. I am pleased the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality has been asked to advise on changes to the Garda Síochána Act. We discussed the matter yesterday afternoon at our meeting. We will be looking with urgency at necessary reforms to the provisions relating to the GSOC. There was cross-party agreement on the need to consider broader reform of the Act to ensure greater accountability mechanisms.

I am pleased the Minister has already promised reform of the GSOC by way of an amendment to enable a serving garda to make complaints to the GSOC. This has been a clear flaw with the GSOC. At the time the GSOC was set up I was critical because it was clearly a weakened version of the structure in Northern Ireland with the tripartite model rather than a single person. Straight away we were diluting authority. We will debate all of this at the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality. There are many issues here and many of them cannot be laid at the door of the Minister. This is a flawed structure and I am pleased we will have an independent review of the allegations around bugging, which are serious indeed.

Senator O'Brien should do good news more often because it suits him.