Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 May 2013
528. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if all of the modules of the Morris Report will be published in view of the Garda Ombudsman's recent assertions that the recommendations of that tribunal have not been implemented by An Garda Síochána. [23975/13]
View answer529. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he is satisfied that the recommendations arising from the Morris tribunal have been implemented in full be An Garda Síochána. [23976/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 528 and 529 together.
The Morris Tribunal completed its work in 2008 and produced a total of eight reports. All eight reports have been published and are available electronically at www.morristribunal.ie and on my Department's website, www.justice.ie. As the Deputy is no doubt aware, the passage of the Garda Síochána Act was the main response from Government to implement the recommendations from the Morris Tribunal. That Act clarified the respective roles and responsibilities of the Minister and the Garda Commissioner and provided for the strengthening of the regulatory framework governing the Garda Síochána, including the establishment of Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission and the Garda Síochána Inspectorate. I assume that the Deputy is referring to issues arising in the recent report of the Ombudsman Commission into the use of informants by the Garda Síochána. The first report of the Morris Tribunal recommended that there should be a periodic independent audit of Garda informant handling procedures by an outside authority, with power to make inspections and see documents and to monitor and review the informer management system. In December 2010 my predecessor as Minister, at the request of the then Garda Commissioner, appointed retired High Court judge, Mr. Justice Thomas Smyth, as the Independent Covert Human Intelligence Sources Oversight Authority. The functions assigned to Mr. Justice Smyth are to review and monitor the use within An Garda Síochána of Covert Human Intelligence Sources; to ensure compliance with the code of practice of An Garda Síochána for the management and use of Covert Human Intelligence Sources; to communicate any matters, he considers appropriate, including recommendations, to the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána and report to the Minister at such intervals, being intervals of not more than twelve months, on discharge of his functions. The most recent report of Mr Justice Smyth, which I have already put in the public domain, stated that he was satisfied than An Garda Síochána were in substantial compliance with the code of practice. I have indicated that I will publish such reports in the future. I am satisfied that the recommendations arising from the Morris Tribunal have been addressed in this regard by An Garda Síochána. The Deputy will be aware that the GSOC has also submitted recommendations inter alia, with regard to the management of Covert Human Intelligence Sources and these will, of course, be considered fully.
