Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

A Policing Service for our Futureis the Government’s Plan to implement the Report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland.

The Implementation of the Plan has been overseen by a dedicated Programme Office in the Department of the Taoiseach and an Implementation Group on Policing Reform (IGPR), chaired by an independent person.

This phase is expected to conclude this year in line with the enhanced governance and accountability framework laid out in the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill coming into effect.

A significant focus of the Implementation Plan has been concerned with strengthening the internal capabilities of An Garda Síochána so that the organisation possesses the capacity to drive future reform.

The new Bill will establish a Garda Board to help this process and will be complemented by external agencies such as the Policing and Community Safety Authority and Fiosrú, the reconstituted Police Ombudsman.

Given that the Report on the Commission of the Future of Policing in Ireland called for greater clarity and coherence in terms of police governance, it would be important to ensure that future governance is as streamlined and clear as possible.

This would help to continue the reform process which has already achieved significant progress including:

·Progressing the Operating Model for An Garda Síochána, which will enable a more visible, responsive and localised policing service to communities nationwide. The model has been fully rolled out in eleven divisions with the remaining ten divisions later this year.

·Conclusion of the three pilot Local Community Safety Partnerships in Dublin’s North Inner City, Waterford City and County and Longford County which will inform the national roll-out of these arrangements in 2024.

·The Garda workforce was larger at the end of 2023 than at any year before 2019 and recent recruitment has been strong following the Government decision to increasethe entry age limit to apply to become a Garda trainee from 35 years to 50.

·Distribution of nearly 15,000 digital communication devices enabling front-line gardái to perform their duties without returning to stations.

·Implementation of new human rights structures, strategies and training across the organisation; and

·Introduction of a three-year Garda Health and Wellbeing Strategy which recognises the stresses a Garda can face and provides assistance to deal with them.

There has also been progress on legislative reform:

·the landmark Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2023 which provides for the most wide-ranging and coherent reform of policing in a generation. The Act was signed into law by the President on 7 February with early commencement envisaged.

·the Garda Síochána (Digital Recordings) Act, which concerns the use of recording devices, including body worn cameras, was signed into law by the President on 5 December 2023

·In June Cabinet approved the drafting of a General Scheme for a new Garda Bill on Facial Recognition Technology.

This new Bill will deal with the concerns raised on FRT and allow for the prioritisation of the enactment of the Recording Devices Bill before the end of the year.

·the Garda Síochána (Powers) Bill which combines and modernises police powers of search, arrest and detention.

In addition, the Garda Síochána Operational Areas Act came into law in 2021 to underpin the new Garda Operating Model.

These achievements represent only some of the wide range of actions completed or being progressed. The Implementation Group on Policing Reform is currently focused on the arrangements for ensuring the smooth transition to the new statutory governance and oversight arrangements.