Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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513. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he has any immediate plans to engage with the trade unions and staff associations concerned with changes to the Civil Service status of Garda staff proposed in the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9955/23]

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

I acknowledge the concerns of current Garda staff regarding the proposals in this Bill. These concerns were also outlined to me in the Dáil last week by a number of Deputies during the second stage of the Bill. I want to reassure existing Garda staff that there will be no changes to their terms and conditions, including their status as civil servants of the Government, when the Bill is commenced.

It needs to be understood that any change can only take place on foot of further detailed engagement with the recognised trade unions concerned, Fórsa and AHCPS, through the normal industrial relations structures. I want to be clear in saying that my Department has already met with both Fórsa and AHCPS in relation to their members’ concerns, including prescheduled meetings held on 23 February 2023. I can confirm to the Deputy that these discussions will continue.