Peter Barry
Ceist:52 Mr. Barry asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the proposals, if any, he has put forward for the composition of the Police Complaints Board in Northern Ireland.
Written Answers. - Northern Ireland Police Complaints Board.
Article 6 of the Anglo-Irish Agreement provides that the Irish Government may put forward views and proposals on the role and composition of bodies appointed by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland or by Departments subject to his direction and control. One such body is the Independent Commission for Police Complaints, which came into being on 29 February 1988 and which replaced the Police Complaints Board, which had operated between 1977 and 1988.
The efficacy and operational effectiveness of the police complaints system must be viewed also in the light of Article 7 of the Agreement which highlights the objective of improving relations between the security forces and the nationalist community. One of the means towards this end is the improvement of arrangements for handling complaints. The creation of the Independent Commission for Police Complaints was a first step towards this end.
The Government has availed fully of the provisions of the Anglo-Irish Agreement to put forward views and make relevant proposals in this area. While it would not be appropriate for me to go into details as regards the specifics of proposals on the composition of the Independent Commission for Police Complaints, I can assure the Deputy and the House that the Government will continue to keep the adequacy, effectiveness and structure of the police complaints system, of which the Independent Commission for Police Complaints is a central part, under close and continuing review, with the primary objective of ensuring that the police complaints system can become one which fully enjoys the confidence and trust of the nationalist community in Northern Ireland.