I am pleased to bring the European Arrest Warrant (Amendment) Bill 2022 before the House on Second Stage. The Bill aims to address issues raised by the European Commission in infringement proceedings with regard to the State’s transposition of Council Framework Decision 2002/584/JHA on European arrest warrants and the surrender procedures between member states. Enactment of the Bill will ensure that Ireland will not be referred to the European Court of Justice and it will allow for the closure of the European Union…

I thank the Senators for their contributions. I reiterate that the changes provided for in this Bill will enable the State to effectively respond to the issues that have been presented by the European Commission in formal legal infringement proceedings against this State. It is in our collective interests that there is consistent and effective operation of a European arrest warrant system. This remains one of our obligations as an EU member state, a status that is very much valued by our citizens and aspired to by …

Amendments Nos. 4, 6, 11, 12 and 13 are being taken together. It was agreed that amendment No. 4 would be included in the group. They all seek to amend section 9. Section 9 provides for the membership of the commission. It provides that the commission will be chaired by the Chief Justice. It provides for an equal number of lay members and judicial members, that is, four of each. Judicial membership comprises the Chief Justice, the President of the Court of Appeal and the two nominees of the Judicial Council. The At…

We are opposing them.

Section 9 provides for the membership of the commission in line with the Government's programme that the commission would be chaired by the Chief Justice. It provides for an equal number of lay and judicial members, with four each. Judicial members comprise the Chief Justice, the President of the Court of Appeal and two nominees of the Judicial Council. Section 12 provides for a more detailed prescription for the nominees of the Judicial Council. All four lay members will be recommended by the Public Appointments S…

This is a proposed amendment to section 11, which deals with the power of the commission to appoint consultants and advisers and enter into contracts. The effect of the amendment would be to provide that for the stated number of years, the commission shall not appoint a person as a consultant or adviser where the person has been a Member of the Oireachtas, a Minister of the Government, an Attorney General, or the Secretary General of a Department of State. The proposed power of the commission in section 11 has been…

Amendments Nos. 15, 16 and 17 seek to amend section 12, which is a comprehensive provision setting out the arrangements for the nomination by the Judicial Council of members of the commission. It is important for me to be clear about these arrangements. The Judicial Council shall nominate two members of the council to be members of the commission. These nominees shall be appointed to the commission by the Minister. Three criteria are set out in respect of the nominations. First, section 12(2)(a) provides that one o…

I would say in response to Senator Higgins's point that a replacement nomination is just that - a replacement meeting the same criteria for the same period only of the unexpired term occasioned by the vacancy itself. On Senator Ward's point, I fully agree that once on the Bench, a judge is not acting in the capacity of a former solicitor or a former barrister. He or she is simply a judge. However, a particular judge will have experience from his or her previous profession, and that insight will add to the commissio…

This is a proposed amendment to the section that deals with recommendations for the appointment of lay members. Effectively, the amendment would require the Minister for Justice in developing the selection criteria applicable to a selection process under the section to demonstrate regard to section 42 of the 2014 Act, which deals with the obligations of public bodies to eliminate discrimination to promote equality of opportunity and to protect human rights and the UN convention generally. Section 13(3) specifies th…

I thank Deputy Jim O’Callaghan for his important question. Established in 2006, the Garda Reserve represents a real opportunity for anyone wishing to support policing and to give something back to their communities. The reserve reinforces An Garda Síochána's essential community links and provides the capacity to draw on additional resources to assist in policing. I would like to acknowledge the important contribution made by all members of the reserve who volunteer their time for the community's benefit. As part of…

One of the things we can do is to highlight the importance of the Garda Reserve and the role it can play in supporting An Garda Síochána. Recruitment to the Garda Reserve did cease and it is regrettable that there has been a reduction in the strength of the reserve in recent years. The Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland concluded that the Garda Reserve programme was not being utilised to its full potential and recommended that future recruitment to the Garda Reserve should be paused pending the outcome…

I reiterate the important role of the Garda Reserve, which is the reason a review was carried out to examine how to ensure that Garda reservists who attest in the future can play that important role and feel comfortable within their role in supporting An Garda Síochána. It also considered how to ensure that recruitment to the reserve reflects society. The breakdown of the current 389 members of the reserve is that 26% are women while 74% are men. As to when recruitment will be carried out, I expect it will be in th…

I thank Deputy Smith for raising the important issue of reducing access to illegal drugs. My Department and the whole of government are acutely aware of the sustained and significant damage that drug dealing has on communities right across the country. I assure the Deputy that tackling drug dealing and associated criminal activity, including by organised crime gangs, is a top priority for An Garda Síochána and the wider Government. The additional resources allocated to An Garda Síochána in recent years enabled the …

I am advised by the Garda authorities that as of 31 August, there were 385 Garda members assigned to the Cavan-Monaghan division, representing an increase of 20% since the end of 2014, when the Garda College reopened. This figure includes 15 community gardaí assigned to the division as of 31 August, up from seven in 2014. Garda members in the division are supported by 57 Garda staff, which is an increase of more than 50% since 2014. The Deputy will also be aware that the Cavan armed support unit centre was official…

In response to Deputy Durkan, we had a meeting yesterday afternoon with the antisocial behaviour forum and we had the Housing Alliance in. Our specific focus was on the issue of antisocial behaviour in housing estates. The antisocial behaviour forum will set up a subgroup to look at that particular issue. I will get Deputy Stanton a specific answer on the issue he raised. If it has not been looked at, we will certainly have a look at it. With regard to Deputy Ó Murchú's points, I believe every one of the organisati…

I thank the Deputy for raising this important question. The Irish Travellers' Access to Justice report, published by the University of Limerick in June, is a welcome and valuable contribution to research and evidence in this important area. It is clear that there is a lot more work to be done, building on the significant work under way across the justice sector, to engage more effectively and equitably with Irish Travellers in line with our values and statutory public sector duty, in addition to the National Travel…

I am very much aware that Travellers are significantly over-represented in the prison population. The Irish Prison Service is providing targeted supports, including adult educational programmes, which cater to the specific needs of the Traveller community. Traveller liaison teachers have been appointed in each educational centre. The service has also introduced peer support services, peer-led mediation and the training of Traveller volunteers for the Red Cross programme. The equine centre at Castlerea Prison, which…

The Department is engaging on the report, examining its recommendations and assessing it. The first criminal justice sectoral strategy was published by my Department on 7 March 2022. The strategy aims to strengthen and improve how criminal justice organisations work together and communicate the work they do. Five subgroups have been established to oversee and monitor the implementation of the strategy. The subgroup on increasing public understanding, in particular, aims to improve communications and deepen communit…

The Deputy will accept that record funding was provided by the Government to the Department of Justice and An Garda Síochána this year. Significant Garda recruitment has begun, and additional Garda recruitment will begin next year.

More than 10,000 expressions of interest for enlarged Garda recruitment were received and-----