An Garda Síochána
Dail Éireann — 2022-07-05
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Pa Daly (SF), Kerry

We can see the importance of dealing with workforce planning in other Departments, such as the Department of Health. The Minister has hit the nail on the head in the question of where GSOC is going to find all the investigators it needs. Are plans in place to source them from other Commonwealth countries around the world that have similar investigative procedures? We do not want to go back to the stage where there are units within An Garda Síochána doing investigations. We do not want to go back to the practices of the past, such as those used in the Sallins mail train robbery investigations, where the individuals involved were questioned and tortured. They have now launched a petition to the UN to investigate the State's role in the process. We must challenge ourselves to ensure such incidents never again occur. There must be external scrutiny and accountability. The heads of the Garda Síochána (powers) Bill have some worrying aspects to them, including the powers to exclude lawyers. What plans are being put in place to ensure the necessary investigative staff will be recruited?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2022-07-05/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:50:56+00:00
Sitting date: 2022-07-05