Emily Logan nominated as the first Police Ombudsman

The Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD, has today brought the required resolutions through the Houses of the Oireachtas recommending Ms Emily Logan for appointment by the President as the new Police Ombudsman under the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024.

Ms Logan was nominated for the role following an open, competition undertaken by the Public Appointments Service. The Government approved the nomination last week and Ms Logan’s appointment by the President will take place on commencement of the Act later this year.

Speaking today, Minister McEntee said:

In the interim, the Minister also brought the required resolutions through the Houses of the Oireachtas today recommending Ms Logan for re-appointment by the President as a GSOC Commissioner under the Garda Síochána Act 2005. The Minister will ask the President to make this appointment from 1 August 2024, when her current term of appointment ends. This is necessary to ensure that there is a seamless transition process between the provisions contained in the Garda Síochána Act 2005 and the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024.

Preparations are at an advanced stage for the commencement of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024 later this year. The Minister expects to be making further announcements regarding appointments to key roles in the coming weeks and months.

ENDS

Note for Editors

The Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024 was signed by the President on 7 February 2024. Significant progress has been made to date on the extensive programme of work required to support the commencement of the Act later this year, including by key Programme Partners – An Garda Síochána, GSOC, the Policing Authority and the Garda Síochána Inspectorate.

When commenced, the Act will:

• make community safety a whole of government and multi-agency responsibility including through the establishment of a National Office for Community Safety and the national roll-out of Local Community Safety Partnerships ;

• strengthen and consolidate independent, external oversight of An Garda Síochána through the establishment of An tÚdarás Póilíneachta agus Sábháilteachta Pobail (the Policing and Community Safety Authority) , which will combine the exiting oversight function of the Policing Authority and the functions of the Garda Inspectorate;

• enhance the internal governance of An Garda Síochána by establishing a new non-executive board, Bord an Gharda Síochána , which is a corporate governance standard across the public and private sectors;

• reconstitute GSOC as a reformed police complaints body known as Fiosrú (the Office of the Police Ombudsman) with an expanded remit and a new senior leadership structure; and

• strengthen independent review of security legislation and the delivery of security services by providing for the establishment of an Independent Examiner of Security Legislation .

The appointment of the Police Ombudsman under the 2024 Act requires the nomination to be approved by Government, the passage of resolutions in the Houses of the Oireachtas recommending the nomination, and finally, appointment by the President on the commencement day of the Act. The same procedural steps are required for the appointment or reappointment of GSOC Commissioners under the Garda Síochána Act 2005.

The Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland (CoFPI) recommended comprehensive reform of GSOC for the benefit of Garda members, complainants and GSOC itself. This comprehensive reform is provided for in the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024.

Under the 2024 Act, GSOC is being reconstituted as a reformed police complaints body known as Fiosrú (the Office of the Police Ombudsman) with an expanded remit. The current three Commissioner model is being replaced by a single head of the organisation the Police Ombudsman, who is supported by a Deputy Police Ombudsman and a Chief Executive Officer.

The reforms ensure that all complaints other than minor service level complaints will be investigated by Fiosrú and there will be greater independent oversight of how allegations of wrongdoing on the part of Garda members that come to light other than by way of complaints from members of the public are handled.

The totality of the reforms will greatly strengthen independent oversight and enhance transparency. They will also improve efficiency and the time taken to resolve complaints.

The 2024 Act streamlines and simplifies the investigations process in two key respects:

1. Firstly, it replaces the current dual investigation process with a new single investigation process. Unlike the current process, this new approach allows for the launch of an investigation without having to decide at the outset whether that investigation is criminal or non-criminal in nature. A single investigation process is standard in other regulatory type bodies.

2. Secondly, the new process dispenses with the need for sequential criminal and non-criminal investigations, which has the effect of prolonging the resolution of complaints for years in some cases. The streamlining of the investigation process in no way compromises the rights of those involved to fair procedures and natural justice. There is an explicit obligation to ensure those rights are protected.

Overall, the new approach will support better decision making and more expedition in the conduct of investigations and greater transparency in the interests of Fiosrú, An Garda Síochána, complainants and the wider public.