Plans for policing despite Shatter’s opposition

The Government’s plans for an independent Garda authority comes just two months after Justice Minister Alan Shatter spelled out his opposition to such a body.

Mr Shatter labelled police authorities as “undemocratic” and said the structure “would not be suitable” for Ireland.

He also said the Garda Síochána was not just a police agency but also the country’s intelligence and security service — and this necessitated direct accountability to the Government and the Oireachtas.

The Government will tomorrow publish the terms of reference of a Cabinet committee on justice reform, which will drive the establishment of an independent Garda authority.

The Taoiseach announced a police authority as part of a series of initiatives emanating from successive Garda controversies, including the secret recording of phone conversations at stations.

Mr Kenny has said the committee will involve himself as chairperson and will include Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore, Mr Shatter and Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte, as well as Attorney General Máire Whelan.

Speaking at the weekend, the Taoiseach described the current Garda structures as chaotic and said the authority will “bring about a situation where people will know they can have trust in, believe in it and they can have integrity in it”.

In the Dáil on February 5, Mr Shatter told Sinn Féin justice spokesman Pádraig MacLochlainn: “On the issue the deputy raises, I do not see how interposing an undemocratic layer between the gardaí and the Oireachtas will assist in increasing accountability. Internationally, there is now a move away from independent police authorities.

“In any event, such a structure would not be suitable for this jurisdiction, which has a single police force, which incorporates national security and border control within its remit.”

Mr Shatter said England and Wales were the two main examples of comparable jurisdictions with police authorities. He said they abolished them in 2012 “precisely on the grounds that the police authorities were not sufficiently democratically accountable”.

Mr Shatter did say he was willing to listen to legislative proposals but said it was important they were “sensible and convincing”. He said the “onus” was very much on people advocating it to show how it would improve accountability.

Mr Shatter told the Dáil that while there was an independent policing board in Northern Ireland, it was set up for “particular and unique circumstances”.

He said the board had to have a balance between the different communities.

The Cabinet is also due tomorrow to publish the terms of reference for the Commission of Investigation into garda tapes.

It remains to be seen whether or not it will include all the circumstances leading up to the resignation of former commissioner Martin Callinan and how the departments of the Taoiseach, Justice and the Attorney General handled the matter.