Justice Minister Helen McEntee to change part of policing reforms after Tánaiste intervention at Cabinet

Justice Minister Helen McEntee will change a part of key policing reforms after Tánaiste Micheál Martin intervened at Cabinet over the proposals.

The Cabinet signed off on technical amendments to the new Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill (PSCS) 2023 on Tuesday.

The landmark new law will reform and rename Gsoc to ‘Office of the Police Ombudsman’ and aims to make community safety a “whole of government responsibility”.

The new laws will also establish local community safety partnerships, three of which are in operation on a pilot basis already.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin is understood to have told Cabinet colleagues that councillors should not be precluded from chairing local community safety partnerships.

One source said Mr Martin “overruled” Ms McEntee but this was downplayed by other sources.

One Cabinet source said both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael were looking for amendments to the legislation.

While councillors are allowed to be members of such partnerships, a Government source said a pattern has emerged already where councillors would not be chosen as chairpersons, with an “independent” chair chosen instead.

However, the reforms will now be changed to specify councillors should not be precluded from chairing the partnerships.

A stipulation will be now put in primary legislation to make this change.

A Fine Gael Government source said the Taoiseach also previously raised the issue with the Justice Minister.

“The PSCS Bill provides that the Minister may make regulations in relation to the operation of each partnership, including ‘the election of a chairperson and vice-chairperson of a safety partnership, and the procedures to apply to ensure fairness and equity in the election process’,” said a spokesperson for the minister.

“The Bill provides this regulation making power to ensure there is flexible approach in how partnerships will operate. The same approach was taken in the Garda Síochána Act 2005 which provided for the establishment of Joint Policing Committees.”

The spokesperson said Minister McEntee will make this change through either a Committee or report stage of the new laws passing through the Oireachtas.

“While there is nothing in the PSCS Bill which stops a councillor becoming the chair, the Minister will introduce a committee / report stage amendment to make it clear that it will be possible for a councillor to chair a Partnership.”

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