Garda Síochána (Compensation) Bill 2021: Second Stage
Seanad Éireann — 2022-03-22
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Mark Wall (LAB), Industrial and Commercial Panel

I welcome the Minister of State. I thank An Garda Síochána for the work it does every day in all our communities. In recent days with St. Patrick's Day parades, etc., we have seen the work gardaí do in our communities and it must always be recognised. As Senator Craughwell has said, over 200 attacks took place in 2020, which indicates how much compensation we need to give to An Garda Síochána for the work its members do and how much thanks we need to give those members every time they put on that uniform and head out through the door.
The Bill is to replace the Garda Síochána (Compensation) Acts 1941 and 1945. Those Acts provide for compensation in respect of death or injury which is maliciously inflicted upon a member of An Garda Síochána while on duty or in connection with their duties. The current scheme operates on the basis that an injured member, or specified dependants in the case of death, may apply to the Minister for Justice for authorisation to apply to the High Court for compensation in respect of the injury received.
This Bill aims to reduce the length of time it takes for Garda members, or their dependants in the case of the death of a member, to have their application for compensation dealt with from initial application through to award by providing for clear timelines in relation to each stage of the process. The new process will ensure that avenues for settlement and resolution are available at the earliest possible stage to reduce the number of applications that progress to court.
The functions carried out by the Minister for Justice in assessing claims at the initial stage will be transferred to the Garda Commissioner, who will arrange for the making of an initial assessment of whether a member has been injured as a result of a malicious incident. There is a mechanism whereby decisions taken at the initial assessment stage can be reviewed by an independent review officer to be appointed from a panel established by the Minister for Justice, should the assessment conclude that the member was not injured as a result of a malicious incident or is not eligible to apply under the Bill.
I agree with the Minister of State that this Bill will streamline the way in which compensation claims by members of An Garda Síochána are dealt with and will reduce the administrative costs and legal fees associated with the current system, as well as ensuring that gardaí and their families can get compensation in a simpler and more efficient process. I look forward to further Stages and working through it with the Minister of State.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2022-03-22/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:50:16+00:00
Sitting date: 2022-03-22