asked the Minister for Justice the number of recommendations of the Commission on the Garda Síochána that have been implemented; the number that remain to be implemented; and if he will make a comprehensive policy statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Garda Síochána Commission.
1.
Thirty-eight of the 52 recommendations made by the Commission on the Garda Síochána have been implemented in full—these include all the key recommendations relating to pay, allowances, hours of work and compensation for overtime. A further eight recommendations are in course of implementation. In this connection, I regard the recent appointment of a firm of management consultants, with wide terms of reference and supported by the work of some other special committees, as meeting, to a substantial extent, recommendation No. 52 relating to an examination into the role, organisation and personnel policy of the force.
Of the remaining six recommendations, four have been partly implemented and negotiations are still in progress in relation to one.
With regard to that part of the question which seeks a comprehensive policy statement on this matter I think I need say only that the facts speak for themselves. I am pleased that it has been possible to implement so fully the far-reaching improvements in the conditions of the force which were recommended in the commission's report. I may add that further major improvements in these conditions, over and above those recommended by the commission, have taken place in recent years.
Would the Minister agree that ultimately the most important recommendation of the Conroy Report concerned the relationship between the Minister and his Department and the force and that in this area no progress whatever has been made?
I agree that that was an important recommendation but I disagree strongly if the Deputy implies that there is a poor or ineffective relationship between me and my Department and the force. That is not the position at the moment.
I think the Minister would agree that the Conroy Commission was concerned with the fundamental relationship between the Minister and his Department and the force, not specifically related to the relationship between any particular occupant of any particular office at any moment but the role of the Minister and the Department in relation to the force and the force in relation to the Minister and the Department. Would the Minister care to comment on what progress has been made in that field?
The comment I should like to make on that is to say again that the anxiety that gave rise to that particular recommendation in the report is, in my opinion, no longer existing. If it should exist or if there should be any residue of that anxiety, I have no doubt that the survey by a firm of management consultants recently accepted by the Garda authorities—part of their brief, of course, will be to consider the entire structure of the force and their relationship with the Department— will isolate that anxiety and remove it if there be any need to remove it.
Would the Minister comment on an example of what I am endeavouring to draw the attention of the House to, a recent occasion when the powers of the force were being substantially affected by legislation in this House and the force was not consulted about this process or no advice from the force was sought in regard to the legislation? I refer, of course, to the piece of legislation at present before us from the Minister for Local Government in regard to traffic wardens.
It is wrong for the Deputy to say that the force have not been consulted. It is wrong for the Deputy to say that no advice was received from the force. In matters of that nature the relevant authority for communication is the Commissioner.