Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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588. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the level of consultation within his Department with An Garda Síochána staff members on the proposed changes to the terms and conditions of their employment as part of the Police, Security, and Community Safety Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8887/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill was formally published in January of 2023 and is based on the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland (CoFPI) report.

As the Deputy may be aware, the CoFPI report recommended that Garda staff be recruited directly to An Garda Síochána, rather than the Civil Service. A central tenet of the CoFPI report was that An Garda Síochána should be seen and treated as a single organisation with a single workforce who share a common loyalty and mission. It found that more integrated workforce structures were required to leverage the different skills and perspectives of Garda members and Garda staff and thereby to contribute to enhancing the capacity of the organisation to deliver better policing outcomes.

It is important to note that no changes to the terms and conditions of existing staff will take place solely as a result of the commencement of this legislation. Any change in their Civil Service status is subject to the Minister engaging with the trade unions and staff associations concerned and considering any representations made by them prior to making an order altering their status.

With regard to consultation with members of Garda staff on the proposed changes to their terms and conditions under the Bill, the CoFPI report recommendations were informed by extensive consultations including with trade unions and representative bodies representing Garda members and Garda staff. As noted previously, the provisions of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill are based on those very same CoFPI recommendations.

In addition, and in keeping with the obligation that the Bill will place on the Minister to ensure that there is engagement on this matter with those concerned, preliminary dialogue has already taken place between Department officials, Garda management and staff trade unions in relation to proposed change to the status of Garda staff from civil to public servants. This engagement will continue as part of the planning for the implementation of the Bill.