Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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584. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he will engage with a trade union (details supplied) concerning proposed changes to workers status under the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15251/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill was formally published in January 2023 and is based on the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland (CoFPI) report. The Bill completed second stage in the Dáil on 23 March 2023 and has been referred to the Select Committee on Justice.

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 by a number of Deputies during the second stage debate 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.

Any such change can only take place on foot of further detailed engagement with the recognised trade unions concerned, namely Fórsa and AHCPS, through the normal industrial relations structures. My Department has already met with Fórsa in relation to their members’ concerns and I can confirm to the Deputy that these discussions will continue.