The Minister for Justice and Equality, Charlie Flanagan TD, will today address a conference on ‘Policing, Human Rights and Communities’ hosted by the School of Law and Irish Centre for Human Rights in NUI Galway. Other speakers at the event include Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and former Justice Minister and EU Commissioner for Research and Innovation Máire Geoghegan-Quinn.
The Conference will focus on the main recommendations of the Report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland, which was published last September, and brings together former Commission members, members of academia and civil society. The Minister said that the conference came at an opportune time for reflection, four months since the publication of A Policing Service for the Future, the four year implementation plan giving effect to the Commission’s recommendations.
Speaking ahead of the event on human rights and policing, one of the key themes of the conference, the Minister said:
The reality is that a policing service whose primary focus is on protecting and upholding human rights is one that will be professional and effective and will maintain the trust of the community it serves. It will welcome oversight and drive continuous improvement, and it will listen to and offer appropriate, but not unquestioning, support to the members and staff who work within it.
The Minister will welcome the inclusion of a number of priority projects in A Policing Service for the Future which will ensure that members of An Garda Síochána are fully equipped to meet their human rights obligations, including the establishment of a Human rights Unit, the development of a Human rights Strategy and the roll-out of training to all Garda members and staff.
The Minister will also signal his intention to make outline proposals to Government later this year on new legislation codifying powers of arrest, search and detention, with associated statutory codes of practice to ensure full clarity and transparency in this key exercise of coercive powers.
National Security is another area in which balancing and upholding human rights is a critical element of success. The Commission on the Future of Policing recommended a number of enhancements to the existing security capabilities, structures and legislative regime in this area, including the establishment of a National Security Coordination Centre to be based in the Department of the Taoiseach, and special arrangements for the oversight of national security powers, most notably the post of Independent Examiner. Minister Flanagan noted that these measures will support a more coherent, dedicated framework of independent oversight, examination and reporting in the arena of national security.
The Minister will also reflect on the challenges ahead in implementing the ambitious programme of reform set out by the Commission and A Policing Service for the Future. He added:
I strongly believe that with the clear internal appetite for change, the Commissioner’s leadership, the Government’s commitment to this programme of reform, and the buy-in that has been achieved at a senior level across the public sector – that this is a challenge that can be met.
Notes to editors:
Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland
The Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland was established by Government in May 2017 to undertake a fundamental examination of all aspects of policing and report by September 2018. It was asked to examine all functions undertaken by An Garda Síochána and the bodies that have a role in providing oversight - including the Policing Authority, the Garda Síochána Inspectorate, the Garda Ombudsman Commission, the Department of Justice and Equality and Government.
The Commission was chaired by Dr Kathleen O’Toole and comprised national and international experts drawn from diverse backgrounds.
Its report published on 18 September 2018 followed 15 months of wide-ranging consultations and intensive deliberations. See www.policereform.ie for its full membership, terms of reference, working methods, and submissions received.
On the 18 December 2018, the Government endorsed the Commission’s Report, accepting all 157 key recommendations, and published A Policing Service for the Future, the four year implementation plan giving effect to the Commission’s recommendations.
Full text of A Policing Service for the Future is available at www.gov.ie/policingreform