Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will be very brief in concluding. I will finish the point that the minority recommendation expressed concern that the new architecture proposed by the O'Toole commission might not offer the best prospects of achieving the goal of unambiguous, independent, empowered and transparent accountability. We need to reflect on how best to ensure that there is an external oversight body. The Policing Authority was to be that body and I believe is bedding down to be that body. I would be very concerned, and Deputy Sherlock raised this point, that any new architecture would preserve the vitally important principle of an external oversight body which would have power to deal with internal matters too and the ability to examine internal management, including resource management, senior promotions, appointments and so on. As legislators, we need to reflect on how best we can ensure that external oversight is provided for while acknowledging the importance of the recommendations of the O'Toole commission and the major work put into that.

I will conclude on a slightly lighter note. I was delighted to see Mr. Justice Charleton concluding his report with a quote from one of my heroes, namely, the first President of the Czechoslovak Republic, founded 100 years ago this year, Tomáš Masaryk, who said that change comes in small ways through hard work and not just through large, sweeping changes. As Masaryk stated:

Utopianism can be overcome by humble work and through small work. Revolutionism is over, as well.

I believe that was intended by Mr. Justice Charleton to be a call on everyone to engage in the sort of fundamental change in culture that is required in policing in Ireland, which in many ways can be more difficult to do and takes much longer than changing structures.