Government approves appointment of Jane Mulcahy to the Policing Authority

The government has appointed Ms Jane Mulcahy to the Policing Authority following an open State Boards selection competition conducted by the Public Appointments Service.

Ms Mulcahy has worked as a researcher in the area of criminal justice, penal policy and social justice since 2005 and is currently employed as a Research Fellow with the Research Evidence into the Policy, Programmes and Practice (REPPP) team at the University of Limerick.

Ms Mulcahy is the project manager of a pilot project seeking to reduce children’s involvement in criminal networks and provide them with positive social opportunities.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said:

The appointment of Ms Mulcahy fills the vacancy on the Authority which arose following the resignation of Ms Shalom Binchy in May 2023.

Ms Mulcahy has been appointed for the period until 8 March 2024 (expiry term date of the recently resigned member, Ms Shalom Binchy) or upon the dissolution of the Authority following the enactment of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill, whichever is the sooner.

The Bill, which completed Report and Final Stage in the Dáil and will go to the Seanad in Autumn, will provide for a new governance and oversight framework for policing as recommended by Commission on the Future of Policing.

This will result in the dissolution of the Policing Authority and will provide for the establishment of a new independent oversight body replacing the Policing Authority and the Garda Síochána Inspectorate. The new body will encompass the functions of both the Authority and the Garda Síochána Inspectorate as well as a range of community safety-related functions.

The Policing Authority is an independent statutory body established on 1 January 2016 under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, as amended (The Act). Its role is to oversee the performance of An Garda Síochána by carrying out a broad range of oversight, review and governance functions.

The Authority consists of nine members, namely a Chairperson and eight ordinary members, all of whom are to be appointed by the government.

Members of the Policing Authority are appointed from persons identified and recommended by the Public Appointments Service (PAS) for appointment.

A vacancy on the Authority arose following the resignation of one member of the Authority in May 2023. The Public Appointments Service conducted a State Boards competition to identify and recommend a person suitable for appointment by the government to fill the vacancy on the Policing Authority. Ms Jane Mulcahy was identified as the successful candidate following that process.

On 13 June, the government agreed to the nomination of Ms Mulcahy and the Minister received approval to forward draft resolutions to both Houses of the Oireachtas in respect of the proposed appointment of Ms Mulcahy to the Authority.

Prior to a new appointment to the Authority, Resolutions must be passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas recommending the relevant person for appointment. The Resolutions were passed by the Dáil and the Seanad on the on 4 July. As the Resolutions have successfully been passed in both Houses, the Minister today reverted to Government to seek a decision to formally appoint Ms Mulcahy.