asked the Minister for Justice when the recently established Committee on Public Safety and Crowd Control will report to him.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Committee on Public Safety and Crowd Control.
2.
The Committee on Public Safety and Crowd Control which was established by the Government on 18 April has been asked to let the Government have an interim report in two months and its final report in six months.
Would the Minister agree that this is a matter of the utmost urgency and that we do not want the risk of tragedies here that happened across the water? The Minister should impress upon the committee the need to have the report and remedial steps recommended and undertaken as soon as possible.
The committee are presided over by Mr. Justice Liam Hamilton. I am sure the Deputy is aware that as an individual he is very renowned for his hard work and dedication to getting on with the job. As far as the Minister is concerned, he wants to have the report published urgently. In relation to the question generally, the Garda authorities, in association with the other authorities, have comprehensive arrangements in place and obviously would adjust those in the light of any experiences either at home or abroad. Notwithstanding that, the committee will be reporting at a very early stage.
Can the Minister indicate to the House what interim steps, if any, his Department have taken pending the receipt of the report to ensure public safety in crowds and what steps have the Garda taken as an interim measure?
That is a separate question. However, the Deputy can take it that at all the major events the Garda, in conjunction with the organisers and the other agencies involved, give consideration to any improvements they might make in those areas and in public places generally.