Micheál Martin
Question:1. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if a Cabinet committee meeting was held in relation to justice matters in the past few months. [32871/15]
Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed)
Cabinet Committee Meetings
Joe Higgins
Question:2. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Taoiseach when a Cabinet Committee on Justice Reform meeting was held last. [40213/15]
Gerry Adams
Question:3. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Justice Reform last met. [42223/15]
Gerry Adams
Question:4. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach the number of meetings of the Cabinet Committee on Justice Reform that have taken place since it was established. [42224/15]
Richard Boyd Barrett
Question:5. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Justice Reform last met. [43507/15]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 5, inclusive, together. The Cabinet Committee on Justice Reform has met on ten occasions to date and last met on 2 November 2015. A further meeting of the committee is being convened as soon as possible to consider the report by the Garda Inspectorate which was published on 9 December by the Minister for Justice and Equality.
I think the Taoiseach will accept there is widespread public concern about crime in urban and rural areas. Over the past 12 months we have probably heard more about rural crime than we have ever heard before although an analysis of the figures shows that crime is a problem in our urban areas as well. It is good to hear the Taoiseach proposes to convene a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Justice Reform to look at the Garda Inspectorate report. The report throws up hugely significant issues which go to the heart of our decades old policing system. The issues are implicitly critical of the current and previous justice Ministers, including justice Ministers from my party, in so far as they presided over a bureaucratisation of the policing service.
The public, to some extent, is way ahead of politicians in terms of how it views the policing service. If one talks to people in Mayo, Kildare or Dublin, one will hear that they want gardaí to be highly visible on their streets, housing estates and country roads. If there is an incident in their home or business, they want to be sure that when they lift the phone there will be an expeditious response from gardaí. The reality is, however, that we have allowed a system to develop whereby large numbers of gardaí are tied down by office duties, bureaucracy, court attendances and a multitude of other duties, many of which could be taken on by civilian staff, thereby allowing gardaí to go back on the beat, to work in communities and to be more visible than they have been in recent years. The Garda Inspectorate in its recent report estimated that 1,500 gardaí could be freed up for this type of duty, with 250 identifiable straight away. In that context, the report is making a point with which many members of the public would concur. Does the Taoiseach envisage the Cabinet sub-committee on justice addressing this particular issue and being in a position to do something about it?
A report on recidivism published by the CSO in recent days highlighted a recurring problem with young male offenders in particular, who return again and again to a life of crime. It is quite clear these people are not gaining anything from their incarceration within the prison system, albeit that there is a training and education service available to them. It must be noted that our prison service is particularly expensive. It costs in the order of €70,000 per annum to incarcerate a prisoner. Many of those who have become involved in a life of crime can be identified at a very early stage in life. Those involved in the education system, for example, are able to identify, at a very early age, children who are at risk of ending up in prison later on and yet we have not been investing as a State in the early intervention that is needed. The home school liaison programme, the school completion programme and guidance counselling have all been negatively impacted by cuts made by this Government and previous Governments.
The Deputy is straying a little now.
We are talking about crime.
We are supposed to be talking about the Cabinet sub-committee on justice.
I will come back to the issue at hand.
Thank you very much.
We have seen the closure of 139 Garda stations. We were told that this would allow greater flexibility and that gardaí would be more visible, active and high profile but in reality, that has not happened. One also wonders what is happening with those 139 stations. The buildings were all of some importance in their local communities. In Kildare, for example, we saw three Garda stations close and I heard a debate on local radio this morning about one such station in the village of Ballitore. The local community has asked that the building be made available to be used as a community facility. Are these the types of issues that can be discussed by the Cabinet sub-committee on justice? Can the Taoiseach envisage the Government giving an instruction to the Garda authorities, the OPW or whatever body is responsible to bring these buildings back into use? Given the current housing crisis, some might provide suitable accommodation to those in need of housing while others might be usefully converted into community centres.
Finally, I wish to refer to the drugs problem, which the Taoiseach must accept is at crisis point in both rural and urban areas. Often when we speak about drugs, we talk about our cities and large towns but we all know that the drugs problem is afflicting every town and village in rural Ireland. I recently visited a small housing estate of about 40 houses in my constituency. There are three heroin addicts living in the estate which is causing all manner of anti-social behaviour connected with the sale of drugs. Dealers are trekking in and out of the estate, selling drugs and trying to recruit others into addiction.
There is a host of issues on the justice agenda. Will the Taoiseach give us some indication that they will be tackled in the period ahead? I would like to see the Cabinet sub-committee on justice meeting on a more regular basis so that the recommendations in the report from the Garda Inspectorate and the findings of the report on the prison service could be acted on.
Crime is an issue for everybody and is always of concern. I agree that it is important that gardaí are visible in local areas. Following a period of economic constraint, things have begun to move in a more positive direction. The Garda training college in Templemore has reopened, with 600 recruits due to go through next year. These new recruits come from a variety of backgrounds. Some have worked in different jobs for a number of years while others are married with families. Garda recruitment used to be confined to the younger age cohort but that is no longer the case. This gives us a better mix of people wishing to serve in An Garda Síochána.
The issue of gardaí on the beat is important. People love to see gardaí in their communities, on bicycles or walking around. This is part and parcel of good connection with the community. Why would we train gardaí and remunerate them to do their job if they end up walking through communities, not knowing who people are? That kind of connection and communication is really important for gardaí and I am very glad to see that it is now happening all over the country. I know of one location where gardaí will drive their car to point X and then walk around within a couple of miles of that point. They call to all of the houses in the area, identify themselves and obtain information on family members and so forth.
I will deal with the Garda Inspectorate report presently but as Deputy Ó Fearghaíl knows, the Government set about putting in place an independent policing authority which represents the single greatest shake up in An Garda Síochána since the foundation of the State. The legislation provides for the appointment of a new policing authority to oversee the police functions of An Garda Síochána and has been dealt with. The consultations that took place were very extensive and were generally in line with the general scheme of the Bill which was published in November 2014. The Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality considered the general scheme in the course of the pre-legislative scrutiny process and broadly welcomed its proposals. Following its legal establishment, which the Government signed off on today, Ms Josephine Feehily, former chairperson of the Revenue Commissioners, will be the chairperson of the new policing authority. The Minister for Justice and Equality is making arrangements for the eight ordinary members of the authority to be appointed and they will also be designated on an interim basis. These posts were advertised through the Public Appointments Service, PAS. A total of 97 applications for the eight positions were received. The PAS interviewed all applicants and then put forward 17 names for consideration. The PAS has also run an open competition to fill the positions of chief executive and head of legal and governance affairs for the authority and those appointments will be announced shortly. It will take effect on 1 January.
The Garda Inspectorate's report is to be considered by the committee very shortly. At that meeting I expect to see both the Garda Commissioner and the head of the governance authority, Mr. Olsen. There are issues in the report that need to be teased out and talked about openly and frankly and on which one hopes we can have clarity and agreement about the structure and the strategy.
When I read a report that states there is a lack of confidence and trust among civilians working in the justice system, I want to know if this is true. From my experience of local Garda stations in different places around the country, that is not the case. They work very well with inspectors, superintendents and chief superintendents, as the case may be. Civilians who have been properly trained free Garda personnel who have been trained to do a different job, an issue raised by Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl.
There is the question of how the amalgamation of districts would work. Within the Garda, from the Commissioner down, there is openness and a willingness to engage in the interests of the community and the job gardaí have to do, which, as we all know, can be fatal and difficult in many circumstances. The committee would like to engage with Mr. Olsen and the Garda Commissioner to follow through on these issues.
Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl raised the question of Garda station closures. Yesterday I attended a meeting with the chief superintendent for the western region which includes counties Galway, Mayo, Roscommon, Longford and Westmeath, as well as with all of the chief Garda personnel and the Minister for Justice and Equality. It was a very open and frank discussion. Where rural Garda stations were closed, many of the buildings were more than 100 years old and not even acceptable to the local community. The important point is that while the station might close, gardaí will still be in situ in the community. However, rather than sitting there for two hours on a Tuesday or a Friday waiting for unemployment assistance forms to be signed, gardaí have the capacity to move through the community to call on older people to give out their cards and so on. In addition, gardaí made the point that superintendents, the real powerhouse in the system, together with inspectors and sergeants, attended community councils on a regular basis to talk to them and ask what the issues were.
It is a point of fact that the incidence of burglaries and crime in the west has fallen, the result of greater visibility in the community. It is also a fact that the Government, with meagre resources which are getting a little stronger, was able to provide vehicles and proper equipment for gardaí and put €200 million on the table for proper IT equipment in order that the TETRA system would work everywhere and the new communications systems would allow gardaí to be available and receive information from communities at first hand.
I recently attended a security presentation by gardaí on the supply of different equipment for houses. A well concentrated and well resourced community text alert scheme is very important in any community in order that information on person or vehicle X or Y can be communicated and responded to very quickly by a community which is alert and vigilant.
From what I heard yesterday from chief superintendents, superintendents and inspectors, the engagement of gardaí with communities is up-front, which is to be commended. That is another matter about which we would like to talk to the Garda Inspectorate in the context of putting together a structure fit for the 21st century, in particular the next ten, 15 or 20 years. I said to the Garda members that it was not just about looking at the next two or five years but about the kind of Garda force we wanted to see in ten or 20 years to ensure it would be capable of meeting the new demands in dealing with criminality, drugs, burglaries and so on.
Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl referred to burglaries. Operation Thor which has been introduced and provided for has been of great benefit to gardaí who have actually been calling to the houses of criminals who have been convicted and released on bail and, if they are not available or not adhering to their bail conditions, are in difficulty. Obviously, it is a multi-strand anti-crime campaign being conducted by the Garda. It has been in planning for several months and was launched as a follow-on to recent announcements of investment in policing and to coincide with the advent of the long winter nights, which is always a cause of concern. It includes a range of activities to deal with burglars, organised crime gangs and prolific offenders. I heard about one offender, a drug addict who had committed five or six burglaries, who had been put away having been apprehended because of the capacity of Operation Thor.
The measures include high-visibility patrols in identified burglary hot spots. It is not true to say all burglars come from one area of the country. There are also, if one likes, home-grown individuals who get involved in burglaries in their own regions. It is important that communities be aware of this and transmit information quickly to the Garda. High-powered vehicles have been provided for gardaí and there are the new regional response units. I was very glad to hear the chief superintendent talk about the exceptional driving courses for gardaí in order that they would be at a standard much higher than that of the normal driver. There have been efforts to disrupt the stolen goods market and programmes to help reduce the level of reoffending by prolific offenders. A high-powered national crime awareness campaign is also under way. All of these measures are important.
Some €34 million has been invested in Garda vehicles since 2012. Some 640 new vans, cars and jeeps have become available this year, including some high-powered vehicles for armed Garda units. There has been important investment in airborne surveillance under the capital programme for 2016 to 2021. Gardaí are, therefore, being equipped with the best technology and information systems. Some €205 million is to be spent over the lifetime of the plan. This will give the Garda greater capacity to respond to this activity, about which we are as concerned as communities.
The moratorium on the recruitment of gardaí has been ended. Some 550 gardaí have been taken in and a further 600 will commence training next year, all of whom are young people.
The Garda works well with the Irish Farmers Association, Muintir na Tíre and other community organisations. It is involved with alert programmes, in the ongoing work of the metal theft forum, the Crimestoppers campaign, the highlighting of the theft of livestock and animals, the new TheftStop initiative in respect of farm equipment and, of course, the highly successful Garda text alert schemes. These are some of the things that are being done.
First, let me extend best wishes to the newly appointed chairman of the Policing Authority and its soon to be appointed members. However, I also express my concern that the new authority will not be truly as independent as it might be. I welcome the Taoiseach's indication that the Cabinet sub-committee on justice reform will consider the Garda Inspectorate's report.
That report, Changing Policing in Ireland, is another wake-up call for the Government on the problems of policing in the State. It has concluded that An Garda Síochána is top heavy, inefficient, defensive, bureaucratic and resistant to change.
Ten years ago the Dáil passed legislation requiring the establishment of a Garda code of ethics, but that code remains in draft form. It might be useful to discover whether the Cabinet sub-committee on justice reform has discussed this issue. In recent years the Garda Inspectorate has made 11 recommendations on operational supervision, but only two have been implemented. Again, it might be useful to discover whether this issue was discussed by the Cabinet sub-committee. The new report proposes 81 changes and each recommendation is given a timeline to be implemented. We are told many of these changes could be delivered on a low or no cost basis. It is obvious reform is needed and the report's recommendations appear to be common sense.
The inspectorate has also concluded that when resources are cut, front-line policing is adversely affected. A series of public meetings have been held, mostly in rural Ireland, on the impact of burglaries and theft on farms. There has been a huge public response to these meetings, nowhere more so than in County Louth where two brave gardaí, Adrian Donohoe and Tony Golden, were recently murdered. At a meeting I attended in Ballymascanlon the issues affecting people were raised. They included fuel laundering and the dumping of toxic sludge, but burglaries and the theft of farm machinery and livestock were particular issues. There is huge anger at the lack of Garda patrols and the closure or reduced opening hours of Garda stations. This is a particular issue in Border regions because criminals use both the motorway network and the Border to make their escape.
Following the murder of Garda Tony Golden, additional Garda resources have been allocated in County Louth. This has had an immediate effect and I welcome the arms find in Jenkinstown. The move has also had the effect of disrupting criminal behaviour in the region. However, the additional resources are only temporary and have been provided from the resources provided for counties Cavan and Monaghan. Therefore, the gain for the community in north Louth following the killing of Garda Tony Golden represents a loss for counties Cavan and Monaghan.
In a previous discussion on the Cabinet sub-committee on justice reform here I suggested the new Garda authority should go into neighbourhoods and communities to listen to citizens as a means of building confidence. I know from experience in the North that the Patten process did this and that it played a crucial part in winning support for policing proposals and a two-way understanding of policing with the community and the community's responsibility to support the police. When I raised this issue previously, the Taoiseach said it seemed to be a good idea and that it would be discussed at a meeting of the Cabinet sub-committee. Will he report back on what happened?
The 2007 inspectorate report recommended the devolution of greater autonomy to Garda regions, but that has not happened. There was particular concern at the time about the provision of front-line services. I note that front-line services have been undermined because of cuts made.
The idea of policing with the community is at the core of the report and part of the mission statement of An Garda Síochána. However, we do not have enough community gardaí. Of the 540 community gardaí assigned across the State, some 328 are in the six Dublin metropolitan regions. It is good that they are there and to be welcomed, but rural communities do not have a proportionate number of community gardaí and some have none at all. In one third of the State there are no full-time community gardaí, while in 14 rural divisions there are ten or fewer.
The report has also found that too many fully trained gardaí are sitting behind desks. It suggests at least 1,500 and possibly up to 2,000 fully trained gardaí, at least 500 of whom are in Garda headquarters, could be taken out of offices to police the State.
This is a comprehensive document and I commend the members of the inspectorate for their efforts. The big test is whether the Government and An Garda Síochána will implement the recommendations made. Also, when the Cabinet sub-committee on justice reform has had an opportunity to discuss the report, will the Taoiseach report back to the Dáil on its deliberations?
I will be very happy to do so and the Dáil shall have an opportunity to discuss the report also, as it is of interest to everybody.
The new Garda authority represents a radical break from what has applied for 80 or 90 years because it will be tasked with overseeing the performance of the Garda Commissioner in a wide range of policing services. It will also develop a key role in the future appointment of senior Garda management. It will have to approve a three-year strategy statement and the annual policing plan that are to be submitted to it by the Garda Commissioner. Also, within 12 months, it will establish and publish a code of ethics that will include standards of conduct and practice for members of An Garda Síochána. Over and above this, it will hold a quarterly meeting in public to engage with the community.
In addition, the authority will be enabled to request the Garda Ombudsman, GSOC, to investigate any policing matter that gives rise to a concern that a member of An Garda Síochána may have committed an offence or behaved in a manner that would justify disciplinary proceedings. It may also request GSOC, subject to the consent of the Minister, to investigate any behaviour of the Garda Commissioner in the context of his or her functions in policing matters. It may request GSOC to examine practices or procedures in An Garda Síochána in a policing matter and can request the Garda Inspectorate to initiate an inspection or inquiry into aspects of the operation or administration of An Garda Síochána in so far as they pertain to policing powers.
The question is often asked as to whether the Policing Authority will have real powers. The answer to that question is yes, it will. It will have the power to hold the Garda to account, with senior Garda management reporting to the authority, including at public meetings. It will determine Garda priorities in policing services and nominate persons for appointment by the Government to the posts of Garda Commissioner and deputy Garda commissioner. It will appoint persons to the rank of Garda superintendent, chief superintendent and assistant commissioner and be responsible for removing them for reasons related to policing services. It will also appoint persons to senior positions within Garda civilian staff. These are all important powers that the new, independent Policing Authority will have.
These proposals have been prepared in close consultation with the Office of the Attorney General to ensure they are entirely constitutional and take into account the full remit of the Constitution. In particular, consideration has been given to Article 28.
Under Article 28, as interpreted by the courts, there are restrictions on the extent to which it is open to the Government to delegate important functions relating to the Executive power of the State to another body. Overall, the proposals for the policing authority are designed to strike the right balance between on the one hand, the exercise by the authority of effective and meaningful oversight of the policing functions of An Garda Síochána and on the other hand, the retention by the Government of essential residual powers in policing in accordance with what is appropriate under Article 28. It took a deal of discussion and clarity before that could happen.
An important issue to be dealt with in the Bill is national security, a vital component of government. The Garda Commissioner of the day will continue to account fully to the Minister and to the Government on security matters. The question was asked as to whether the Garda Commissioner will account to the policing authority on national security issues and the answer is "No". As national security is a vital function of government, it is proposed that under the new oversight arrangements, the Garda Commissioner will report to the policing authority in respect of policing matters and to the Minister for Justice and Equality with regard to security matters. These are important and serious areas of evolution for the new Garda authority.
As Deputy Adams rightly points out, the Garda Inspectorate report makes 81 recommendations and is 380 pages long. Five headings of the recommendations are under structure, operational deployment practices, enabling organisational change, effective use of human resources and financial, information technology and other resource practices. Some of the key recommendations include, for example, changing the organisational structure to one that is leaner at senior management level, providing more gardaí for front-line duties. There is an idea that more gardaí could be released for front-line duties if we provided for further civilianisation, and this goes back to my response to Deputy Ó Fearghaíl's question. What is the level of trust and confidence between the structure and those who work as civilians in the system? Personally, I find they appear to work very well but the report indicates that this is not the case in some instances. That issue needs to be addressed.
It also indicates that the number of Garda regions should be reduced from six to three. That could be a difficult cultural issue to accept. There is some residual evidence to suggest that where it was attempted to amalgamate regions or districts, there was still adherence to the old district boundaries, and those districts that were amalgamated might not be as effective as they should be. Perhaps it takes a period for that culture to become fully understood. There is a recommendation about the possibility of over 1,000 or 1,500 fully trained and experienced gardaí going on front-line duties. The same thing might apply in a different sector, with members of the nursing profession graduating after having done courses X and Y. When they get promotion, they might not be involved with direct nursing, for which they were trained, and they could instead be on administrative duties.
There are a number of recommendations in this designed to improve accountability, leadership and supervision. There is a requirement to develop a new divisional policing model that would put communities first and more gardaí on the front line. That will probably be reflected in the report to be brought forward shortly by the Garda Commissioner. She will present a report to the Minister on changing structure for the running of An Garda Síochána. That will be an important consideration from the Commissioner's perspective. I hope the engagement between the inspectorate, the Commissioner and the Cabinet sub-committee will yield beneficial results.
There has always been a question about rosters and whether there is more or less time to be able to deal with these issues. It all points in the direction of having a strong economy that can provide the resources to deal with justice and policing issues in the time ahead. That is all the more reason it is important that the recovery under way would be maintained in a competent and progressive fashion, so the strength of the economy can be released to deal with these issues, whether they relate to education, health, policing or defence, etc. We live in a very different world than we used to and it is all moving at a very fast speed. Our gardaí need to be properly resourced and have all the facilities. They need upskilling or training and they need communication systems that will be fit for purpose. The structure, which is the subject of a major report, should be looked at and discussed openly and frankly in the interests of having it lean, effective, professional, competent and forward-looking. As the Deputy states, it should engage with the community.
It is always the fact that when people telephone the gardaí, it is a question of who they know or who they will call. Is there a number and is it manned? Will there be a response? In the recent fortnight, people in the communities have come out day and night to help their neighbours. There is an enormous willingness to participate in the proper running of our country. There are text alert schemes and engagement by superintendents and the inspectorate with the community councils and civilians. People talk about the issues in the past month, the provision of closed-circuit television cameras or how people can be vigilant about what goes on in communities, whether urban or rural. This is all in everybody's interest. There is a fear of burglary and other crime that sends older people to bed at night very frightened, and clearly we do not want that. There is a changing nature to burglaries, with farm equipment and livestock being targeted. Farms have been open to everybody over the years but that has now changed. There is confiscation or disruption of materials, including metals, from farms and isolated units. This is part and parcel of the challenge of the world in which we now live. GPS locators can be attached to equipment and material and if one is lucky enough, one might find out to where something is gone.
I assume we will have an engagement and the report will be back here so we can have the Dáil discuss it and people can give their views. It will be a useful engagement and I look forward to hearing how the inspectorate will present its report, how the Garda Commissioner will respond and how the political and departmental representatives on the committee reflect on it. It is all in the interests of having a proper structure that is fit for purpose.
I wish to raise three justice issues that the justice sub-committee should seriously address, if it is not already considering them. First, there is the case of Ibrahim Halawa. The Taoiseach knows that today his trial has for the umpteenth time been postponed. It will now take place at the end of the month. From a justice perspective, we need to publicly say that the process of so-called justice that is being applied to Ibrahim Halawa is an utter sham. He is essentially the victim of a political show trial by a regime that has discarded any interest in the human rights of its own citizens or, in this case, one of our citizens. It is engaged in using a sham judicial process to eliminate and terrorise political opponents. In this case, it is one of our own citizens who got caught up in nothing more than a protest.
It begs the question of why we are not being more robust in terms of calling out this injustice. The Cabinet Committee on Justice Reform needs to see it in those terms.
Sorry, Deputy, we must stick with the question. I gave a bit of rope there.
Is the Cabinet Committee on Justice Reform considering the panel of barristers review of a number of cases where individuals are demanding proper public inquiries into very serious allegations of Garda malpractice? In particular, has the committee considered, or will it consider, the ongoing call of Cynthia Owen for a full public inquiry into her case, which I have raised a number of times? Cynthia Owen alleges she was raped as a ten-year-old child and that gardaí were involved in her abuse. Her baby was brutally killed and evidence about that killing disappeared. When I last spoke to her legal representatives, they told me they still had no indication that there would be a proper public inquiry into this appalling case where the most serious allegations were made, including those against gardaí.
I draw the attention of the Taoiseach and the Cabinet Committee on Justice Reform to a question of international justice. This Thursday is the 28th birthday of Chelsea Manning, the imprisoned US whistleblower who did the world a great service in blowing the whistle on many of the nefarious and brutal activities of the US, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan, and who is languishing in prison-----
The Deputy is really straying.
They are justice issues.
The Deputy's question concerns when the Cabinet Committee on Justice Reform last met, so we are not doing a tour of the world.
In fairness, all of the previous contributions did a fair tour as well.
I have given the Deputy a fair bit of rope but he should not abuse it.
There will be events around the world on Thursday to highlight the ongoing plight of Chelsea Manning. This Government has championed the idea that it will support whistleblowers who do the public a service. It seems obvious that Chelsea Manning has done the world a great service and that we should speak out on the international stage on her birthday this Thursday in favour of her being released and not being punished for being a whistleblower on matters of global public interest.
We have raised the case of Ibrahim Halawa on a number of occasions in the House. There have been more than 40 visits by the consular general to the prison to engage with this young man. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade has engaged on many occasions with the Egyptian ambassador to make the case for the release of Ibrahim Halawa. Deputy Breen, chairman of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, visited the prison. I have met with President Messi on two occasions.
Not Messi.
Not that Messi.
el-Sisi.
Gabh mo leithscéal. I met with President el-Sisi in Paris and New York at the UN Millennium Development Goals summit. Maybe that is what made me think of Messi. It is not for us to direct the Egyptian authorities but we reminded President el-Sisi that he holds presidential powers with regard to release of individuals and this has happened in a number of other cases. He was very open and frank in that discussion about where his powers are. This trial was postponed on a number of occasions not because of anything Ibrahim Halawa was unable to offer, but because of the inability of others to attend court. It is a very big trial, as the Deputy is aware. I repeated that to the Egyptian President when I met him at the climate change summit in Paris. The Egyptian ambassador sent a letter quite recently pointing out the responsibility and opportunity of the Egyptian Government. I cannot dictate to another jurisdiction in respect of its system but we have made perfectly clear our interest in having young Ibrahim Halawa returned home to his family and we will continue to maintain a high level of awareness in and activity level about him through the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and the consular activities in Cairo. I hope that on the next occasion, the situation can be changed and that it might be possible for the Egyptian President to consider his use of presidential powers in respect of pardon.
In respect of the panel, many of these cases have been around for quite a long time. Some of them have gone through the circuit in the courts already. When they were brought to my attention, we set up a panel of legal experts to look at each case, the background and story and what might or might not be done. The Minister for Justice and Equality appointed a member of the Judiciary to respond properly to each individual. I understand that in the vast majority of cases, no further action is proposed. This will not be acceptable to some people who have lived a life with some of these cases. Action is recommended by the panel in a number of cases and is referred to in the letters sent out by the-----
Does that include Cynthia Owen?
I do not know the detail of that case but I will talk to the Minister in respect of a report from the group. I recall the Deputy raising this case previously and the horrific details involved.
The question of the whistleblower being released is one that I will bring to the attention of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in respect of our interest in whistleblowers and will express the view brought to my attention by the Deputy.
Cabinet Committee Meetings
Micheál Martin
Question:6. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach the dates on which meetings of Cabinet committees or sub-committees took place in July 2015. [32875/15]
Micheál Martin
Question:7. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach the Cabinet committee meetings he attended in September 2015. [33921/15]
Gerry Adams
Question:8. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach the Cabinet committee and sub-committee meetings that he attended from July 2015 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44673/15]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 to 8, inclusive, together.
I chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Service Reform on 1 July and a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on 1916 Commemorations on 2 July. I chaired meetings of the Cabinet Committees on Social Policy and Public Service Reform, Economic Infrastructure and Climate Change and Health on 13 July. In September, I chaired meetings of the Cabinet Committees on Economic Recovery and Jobs, Social Policy and Public Service Reform, Economic Infrastructure and Climate Change, Health, Justice Reform and Construction 2020, Housing, Planning and Mortgage Arrears. In October, I chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Construction 2020, Housing, Planning and Mortgage Arrears. In November, I chaired meetings of the Cabinet Committees on Economic Recovery and Jobs, Social Policy and Public Service Reform, Economic Infrastructure and Climate Change, Health and Justice Reform. To date in December, I have chaired meetings of the Cabinet Committees on Economic Recovery and Jobs, European Affairs, Economic Infrastructure and Climate Change and 1916 Commemorations. The Economic Management Council met once in July, twice in September and once in October.
The Taoiseach has undoubtedly been busy. I have some questions about the Cabinet Committee on Health. The Taoiseach told us some time ago that this committee was going to drive forward reform as identified in the Fine Gael manifesto and the programme for Government.
The universal health insurance process was the major plank of reform the Government identified, together with the abolition of the Health Service Executive but given that it has now abandoned the universal health insurance objective and while continuing to describe the HSE as a failure, it has failed to abolish it, what is the Cabinet Committee on Health achieving? Does the Taoiseach accept that the reform programme has been exposed as nothing more than a recipe for massive charges to the public and worse services in many areas of the health service? What are his views on the new idea of the Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar, that the health service should be run through health trusts and that management of health services might be privatised in circumstances where delivery does not meet his view of what it should be?
The Minister for Health is generally regarded as a very talented member of the Cabinet and the public welcomed his appointment to the Department of Health, expecting that he would deliver radical reform. It now feels, however, that rather than being a leader of health reform, he has become a lead commentator on the health service. Will the Taoiseach be in a position to do anything about that?
I was going to say the Taoiseach is the lead commentator and the Minister for Health is playing second best but this is the season of goodwill.
Only on health.
The Taoiseach never mentioned the Cabinet Committee on Irish and the Gaeltacht. Did that committee meet at all and can the Taoiseach give us some sense of what it did? Questions to the Taoiseach allow the Opposition leaders scrutinise the work of the Department of the Taoiseach but the Ceann Comhairle has to keep to the rules. We appreciate, however, the latitude he allows at times. The Taoiseach, who was in opposition for so long, understands the need to give as much information as possible without breaching the imperative of Cabinet confidentiality. Would it be possible to change that protocol given all the talk of democratic revolution and so on, the importance of Cabinet committees and their primary role in shaping Government policy and given that our ability to scrutinise the content of their discussion is not very transparent or accountable and is the opposite of democracy?
In response to Deputy Ó Fearghaíl, the Cabinet Committee on Health considers political oversight of many of the programmes being implemented. The long-term view is to have a single universal health care system but I have to admit the method by which the Government was to do this is no longer accepted as valid because it was too costly, as identified by the report of the Economic and Social Research Institute. The Government will not proceed with that particular model. As I have said in response to previous questions on primary care, community care, the fair deal scheme and the provision of local facilities, we have followed through on those in a very big way, overseeing the introduction of general practitioner cards for children under the age of six and adults over the age of 70 and moving on to the children under 12 years of age of working families. We have also focused on a healthy Ireland with initiatives in the preventive medicine area, activity levels and the opportunity for so many people to have healthier lifestyles, be it in respect of food, drink or whatever. The Deputy must have noticed the publication of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015 last week in respect of advertising alcohol given the damage that can cause. Changes will be made such that it will not appear around schools or children.
We need more investment in the community primary care facilities. That is another reason to ensure a continuation of the strong recovery taking place. Most importantly, we need to invest in infrastructure, the recruitment of nurses and doctors and non-consultant hospital doctors. I gave the Deputy figures on that today. We also need to invest in the facilities. Last week Deputy Martin asked about the accident and emergency unit in Galway. The Minister for Health gave him a detailed reply. It is part of a major expansion of the hospital facilities in Galway and the various pieces of equipment there. While it is not as one would wish, it is part of a major reorganisation of the facilities at that hospital. We need a strong economy to be able to drive continued investment in such areas.
What questions did Deputy Adams ask? His second question was something about being anti-democratic.
It was about the Cabinet Committee on Irish and the Gaeltacht.
I think it met twice but I will have to confirm that. On the last occasion I discussed with it the question of the derogation in respect of Irish being a European language. We have failed as a country to provide the number of properly trained and high standard translators who have three languages. If we were to take all the people from this country who can measure up to the standard required at European level now, there would be another problem in respect of people of capacity here at home.
We do not have a language policy.
This is a question of recognising that our language is a European language. This country has not measured up in terms of providing a sufficient number of people of sufficient standard to sit in those boxes and translate the communiqués and the language in the way we would wish. We have to extend that out to 2021. I do not like that because there is no reason we cannot be much better. Yesterday I attended a little function in the west where people have used some of the resources given by the Aire Stáit and the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to promote Irish business, Irish manufactured goods, to identify people who can speak Gaeilge and who are not afraid to speak it and to use many of the very modern ways of communicating language. I will confirm the dates when the committee met.
Written Answers follow Adjournment.