Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. During the debate on Second Stage, I spoke on the tripartite ombudsman and referred to the recommendation of the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality, which was that consideration be given to changing the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC, from a three-person institution to a single Garda Síochána ombudsman. The committee unanimously recommended it because it would ensure greater accountability and no possibility of dissenting opinion or divergence. We were persuaded by experience elsewhere.

On Second Stage, I mentioned that the Bill deals with specific changes to the powers of GSOC. These are welcome and endorse and support the proposals made by the report of the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality. During the debate on Second Stage, we were told there would be legislation with further reforms to GSOC and other aspects of the report of the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality. Can consideration be given in the future to changing the ombudsman model to the single person model spoken about by the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality?