Róisín Shortall
Question:
486. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the resources set aside for the operation of the Garda anti-corruption unit; the benchmarks that will be used to ensure it meets international best practice standards when investigating corruption; and if statistics will be gathered and published on the number of allegations and-or reports, detections, investigations and prosecutions undertaken or supported by the unit. [1640/19]
View answer
As the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for carrying on and managing and controlling generally the administration and business of An Garda Síochána and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter.
I have requested the specific information sought by the Deputy from the Garda Commissioner and I will write to her on receipt of same.
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 42A
I refer to Parliamentary Question No 486 for answer on Tuesday, 15 January 2019. At that time, I responded that I would request the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda Commissioner and that I would write directly to her on receipt of same.
As the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for carrying on and managing and controlling generally the administration and business of An Garda Síochána and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter.
On 18 December 2018, the Government endorsed the report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland and agreed to accept all 157 key recommendations contained in the report, including those related to reviewing the Garda discipline system. On 18 December 2018 I also published a four year high level plan, ‘A Policing Service for the Future’, which sets out the approach to implementation of the Commission's recommendations. Implementation of the Commission’s recommendations is already being advanced. Reviewing the discipline system in An Garda Síochána, including the development of an anti-corruption unit in An Garda Síochána is one of the projects being advanced throughout 2019. As such I am informed by the Commissioner that it is not possible to provide the specific information requested at present.
I hope that this information is of assistance.
