Ex-Policing Commission member raises concerns over Ireland's new security oversight chief

Professor Donncha O'Connell expressed 'serious concerns' over the appointment process — not least because of the 'tiny pool' of senior judges available or interested. File picture

A former member of the Policing Commission has expressed serious concerns at the process of appointing, and the powers being given to, Ireland’s first oversight chief on security legislation and intelligence services.

Donncha O’Connell, Professor of Law at University of Galway, also described as “perplexing” the failure to publish a high-level government study into recommendations by the commission to transfer garda prosecution powers to a separate prosecution agency.