Policing Authority: We will be 'unrelenting and undeviating' in using statutory powers

The Policing Authority will warn the Government if it believes planned new oversight structures will result in a “diminution” of the independence and vigour of oversight of An Garda Siochana, the authority's new chairperson has said.

In his first public comments since being appointed, Bob Collins said the authority will be “unrelenting and undeviating” in using its statutory powers to advise the minister of justice of any such danger.

The Government is implementing recommendations of the Policing Commission, which reported in September 2018, in creating a new architecture of oversight and governance of the force.

This includes a new oversight body, the Policing and Community Safety Oversight Commission (PCSOC), “superceding” both the Authority and the Garda Inspectorate and a new internal Garda Síochána Board.

This Board will assume “governance” responsibilities and both it and the Commissioner will be directly accountable to the Minister.

The Board would also take from the Authority the role in nominating to the Government people for the position of Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner.

The outgoing chair of the Authority, Josephine Feehily, has already identified the risk to oversight with the changes, but awaited Government draft legislation on the matter.

Ms Feehily ends her term at the end of this month after four years as chair of the new body, following one year as chair-designate.

Mr Collins said the authority's position will depend on what the forthcoming Policing and Community Safety Bill outlines.

“It is necessary to see what is coming down the track – we haven't even heard the first hoot of this particular 'chu chu',” said Mr Collins, who has been a member of the authority from the start.

The former Director-General of RTÉ and Chief Commissioner of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland said that until the law is changed, the authority would be “unremitting and undeviating” in its approach.

When the draft legislation is revealed we will be equally unremitting and undeviating in using that statutory duty we have to advise the minister if we feel that there is any diminution of the independence or the openness or the vigour of the oversight that is so essential to the democratic functioning of the state and the policing service.

He said the authority looked forward to “being assured” that whatever entity is created that it will have “vigour implicit and explicit in the current legislation”.

Announcing his appointment, Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said: “Mr Collins’s appointment comes at an important juncture, as the implementation of the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland gathers pace.”