Vol. 396 No. 3
3 Mr. McCartan asked the Minister for Justice if his attention has been drawn to the call made by the chairperson of the Garda Complaints Board on 15 December 1989; and the number of tribunals of hearing convened in the past year.
I am, of course, aware of the statement referred to by the Deputy. On 9 November 1989 I set out in some considerable detail, in reply to questions tabled by Deputies McCartan and O'Keeffe, the position in relation to the staffing and workload of the Garda Síochána Complaints Board. I do not propose to go over the entire ground again but rather to confine my remarks to a few essential points.
The board's staffing complement was, with the approval of the Minister for Finance, increased from six to ten in July last and all the extra staff were assigned to the board by December last. I consider that this allocation of four additional staff to the board, which was found possible only with the greatest degree of difficulty given the constraints which apply to all areas of public expenditure at the present time, should help to ease their difficulties considerably. I am continuing to have the impact of the extra staff on the board's workload monitored.
I am informed by the board that 14 disciplinary cases were heard by the tribunal in the year 1989.
When the Minister says 14 were heard, could he indicate whether they involved extensive assembly of witnesses, or were matters that were simply determined by the board?
They were cases in the tribunal in the normal way as in previous years. There has been no difference.
Does the Minister accept the information of the chairman as issued in his communiqué of December, in his address to the Irish Association of Civil Liberties annual general meeting, that there were 250 new cases alone received by the board between August when he agreed to appoint the new staff, and December when the statement was made, and that none of these has progressed beyond an acknowledgement slip? Can the Minister indicate what he proposes, if anything, to relieve that situation?
Let us have the utmost brevity in dealing with these questions.
Additional staff were made available to the board. I accept that the situation in relation to this board is not as it was envisaged when it was originally established in 1986. At that time the Government of the day envisaged about 400 cases coming before the board. There are now nearly 1,000. It was with that in mind that the Government decided to provide the additional staffing resources. The matter is being kept under careful consideration by my Department and the workload is being monitored. If additional staff are required I will do what I can within the limits laid down having regard to the constraints on public expenditure.
Finally——
It must be a very brief question.
Given that 14 cases in all were disposed of in 1989 and there are now over 1,000, could the Minister not agree to take emergency steps to break the log-jam and put this tribunal on a working basis?
In case there is any misunderstanding, the 14 relate to tribunal cases as distinct from the overall number of cases dealt with. About 750 cases were processed during 1988-89. The tribunal deals with disciplinary cases and there were 14 of those dealt with. They are not held in every case.
Question No. 4.
Does the Minister have any specific proposals?
About 750 cases were dealt with.
Acknowledged.
Actually dealt with.
