Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Independent)
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262. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will provide an update on the appointment procedure for the appointment of a new Garda Commissioner; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41144/14]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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320. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality when she expects to be in a position to approve the appointment of a Garda Commissioner for An Garda Síochána; if the necessary procedures to do so are in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44389/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 262 and 320 together.

The next Commissioner of the Garda Síochána will be appointed following an open competition which is currently being carried out by the Public Appointments Service.

This is part of a wider programme of comprehensive Garda reform which is currently under way, which includes the development of legislative proposals to establish an Independent Policing Authority and to strengthen the remit and capacity of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission. This process of reform is being overseen by a Cabinet Committee on Justice Reform which is chaired by the Taoiseach and includes the Tánaiste, myself as Minister for Justice, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and the Attorney General.

It is expected that the selection process for the Garda Commissioner will be completed in the coming weeks, and I would expect that the Government will be in a position to make an appointment next month as provided for in Section 9 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005.