Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 July 2017
283. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the persons that have been appointed as peace commissioners since 2011; the age of the appointees; the grounds upon which they were appointed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32213/17]
View answerPeace Commissioners are appointed by the Minister for Justice and Equality under Section 88 of the Courts of Justice Act, 1924.
My Department is reliant upon the Peace Commissioners themselves and other interested parties, to advise of changes which occur subsequent to appointment. For that reason, the list of Peace Commissioners is not automatically updated to take account of changes of address, availability or status as they occur. Therefore, the list I have provided separately to the Deputy must be viewed in that context. Individuals seeking details of Peace Commissioners available in their areas are advised to contact the Peace Commissioner Unit of this Department or make inquiries at their local Garda Station where this information can be obtained.
I am advised that it is not possible to provide information in relation to the age of Peace Commissioners as its collation would require a disproportionate and inordinate amount of staff time and effort, which cannot be justified where there are other significant demands on resources.
An application for appointment may be submitted by a person who is interested in obtaining an appointment or by a third party in respect of a person considered suitable for appointment. Nominations are generally received from public representatives. A local Garda Superintendent can also request an appointment in a particular area in the public interest.
There is no qualifying examination involved but appointees are required to be of good character and they are usually well established in the local community. Persons who are members of professions or employed in occupations which engage in legal work or related activities and members of the clergy are, as a matter of practice, not appointed because of their occupation. Public Servants are usually only appointed where the performance of their official duties requires an appointment (i.e. ex-officio). In the list provided, those Peace Commissioners not linked to a Garda Sub-District are ex-officio appointees. Persons convicted of serious offences are considered unsuitable for appointment.
The fact that an applicant or nominee may be suitable for appointment, does not in itself provide any entitlement to appointment because appointments are made at the discretion of the Minister for Justice and Equality with regard to the needs of particular areas.
