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Oversight Bodies

Policing and Community Safety Authority

Part 4 of the 2024 Act provides for the establishment of the Policing and Community Safety Authority (PCSA), along with the dissolution of the current Policing Authority and the Garda Síochána Inspectorate. The oversight and inspection functions of these two bodies will be broadly merged into the new PCSA.

The Authority will be responsible for overseeing and assessing in an independent and transparent manner the performance by An Garda Síochána of its function relating to policing services to support the effective provision and continuous improvement of such services to the benefit of the safety of the public. It is also required to keep the Minister informed of developments in respect of matters relating to policing services and to make recommendations to assist the Minister in coordinating and developing policy in that regard.

Dr Elaine A. Byrne B.L., Chairperson designate

Dr Elaine Byrne is a practising barrister on the South Eastern and Dublin Circuits with a

specialisation in Regulatory Law and Employment Law.

Dr Byrne has served as a member of the Policing Authority since March 2021 and was appointed as Chairperson from 1 January 2024. She has acted as a consultant on governance matters for the European Commission, the United Nations and the World Bank. Her book, “Political Corruption in Ireland 1922-2010: A Crooked Harp,” was published in 2012. She has served as a member of the Hamilton Review Group on Economic Crime and Corruption, and the Seanad Working Group on Reform.

The new members of the PSCA will be:

Joe Costello was a Councillor on Dublin City Council from 2019-2023 and was a member of the Board of the Grangegorman Development Agency and the City of Dublin Education Training Board. He was previously an elected member of the Houses of the Oireachtas (1989-2016).

Michael Feehan is a consultant with the Independent Policing Consultancy since 2017 and was previously Chief Security Officer for the Dublin Airport Authority from 2013-2017. He was previously Assistant Commissioner for the DMR (2009-2012) and Northern Region (2008-2009) in An Garda Síochána.

Nessa Lynch is Matheson lecturer in Law, Innovation and Technology in the School of Law at University College Cork and was previously Academic Director with the Royal New Zealand Police College.

Martina Moloney was County Manager (2003-2014) and was Director of Services (1999­2003) for Galway City Council and County Manager for Louth City Council (2003 -2007). She is chair of the Heritage Council since 2021 and chairs the pilot of the Local Community Safety Partnership in Longford.

Freda McKittrick has been the head of Barnardos Guardian ad litem service since 2000 and sits on the Board of the Legal Aid Board. She was previously a senior social worker with Westminster City Council and is a lay member to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal.

Tony O’Brien is the Managing Director & Principal of Global Leadership and Governance Solutions Ltd from 2018, is the Chair of the Board of Safetynet Primary Care since 2022 and was CEO and Director General of the HSE from 2012-2018.

Ken O’Leary was a senior official in the Department of Justice and Equality - Deputy Secretary, Criminal Justice from 2015-2017, and Assistant Secretary Crime and Security Directorate from 2000-2015.

Emma Reidy is the CEO of Aoibhneas Domestic Support for Women and Children since 2013 and also serves as Director for Safe Ireland and is a member of the Legal Aid Board since 2019 and chaired board subcommittees on HR and Strategy matters., chairing the Staff and Human Resources subcommittee.

The publicjobs competition to recruit a CEO for the PCSA has also concluded and Ms. Helen Hall has been selected as the successful candidate. Ms. Hall is the current CEO of the Policing Authority. She will be appointed as the PCSA CEO on its establishment on commencement day.

Independent Examiner of Security Legislation

Part 7 of the 2024 Act provides for the establishment of the Independent Examiner of

Security Legislation.

The Independent Examiner is an entirely new role and represents a significant development in enhancing Ireland’s national security infrastructure. It provides for the independent review of security legislation and security arrangements. The Independent Examiner will:

  • Keep under review the operation and effectiveness of security legislation to ensure that it remains necessary and fit for purpose and contains sufficient safeguards for protecting human rights.
  • Have a general examination function in relation to the delivery of security services. State offices and agencies who have a security remit will be obliged to cooperate with the Independent Examiner.
  • Review cases where information providers may refuse to provide information to the Police Ombudsman and the Policing and Community Safety Authority (PCSA) on the grounds of security of the State.

The Independent Examiner will assume the existing oversight roles, currently carried out by designated High Court judges, relating to the operation of statutory frameworks for data retention, interception of communications and surveillance following a three month period of transition.

Reporting to the Taoiseach, the Independent Examiner will be supported by an office and will also be empowered to produce other subject matter reports as necessary.

Mr Justice George Birmingham, Independent Examiner designate

Mr. Justice George Birmingham retired earlier this year as President of the Court of Appeal, having served over six years in that role which is the second most senior position in the Irish judiciary.

Educated at St Paul's College, Raheny; Trinity College Dublin and the Kings Inns, he was called to the Bar in 1976. He had a successful and broadly based practice at the junior Bar involving a wide range of civil and criminal cases, both prosecuting and defending.

He was a member of Dáil Éireann from 1981-1989 and served as a Minister of State in a number of Government departments from 1982-1987.

Called to the Inner Bar in 1999, his practice was again broadly based but with a particular emphasis on public law and criminal law. As a Senior Counsel he conducted the preliminary enquiry into clerical sexual abuse in the Diocese of Ferns and was the sole member of the Commission of Investigation into the Dean Lyons case.

In 2007 George was appointed a judge of the High Court. There he heard cases across a number of lists including Non-Jury and Judicial Review, Chancery, Personal Injuries, Asylum and Immigration as well as presiding over trials in the Central Criminal Court. In addition, George was responsible for the Minors List.

When the Court of Appeal was established in 2014, George was among the first group of judges appointed and was asked by the President to take day to day charge of the Criminal Division. In 2018 he was appointed as the second president of the Court. In addition to carrying out his administrative responsibilities he presided over cases across the jurisdiction of the Court, principally on the criminal side but also on the civil side.

George Birmingham served as the Irish representative on Consultative Council of Judiciary (CCJE) and was elected to the Bureau, the leadership group of that body. He is a former president of the Association of Judges of Ireland (A JI).

Fiosrú – Office of the Police Ombudsman

Under the 2024 Act, GSOC is 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 Ombudsman, to be supported by a Deputy Ombudsman and a Chief Executive Officer.

Following an open competition, Cabinet approval on 2 July, and resolutions passed through the Oireachtas on 9 July, Ms. Emily Logan has been nominated by Government for appointment as the first Police Ombudsman under the 2024 Act. The President will formally appoint Ms. Logan as Police Ombudsman on the commencement of the Act. She will be supported in her role by a new Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Sheila McClelland, who was recruited following an open competition run by publicjobs. She has since commenced her role on a designate basis and will also stand appointed when the Act is commenced.

National Office for Community Safety

The National Office will lead the rollout of the Government’s new strategy for improving community safety. Working closely with Local Community Safety Partnerships (LCSPs), the Office will be responsible for providing support, training, and guidance to local authorities to enhance community safety across Ireland. This initiative is a key component of the Government’s broader efforts to promote inter-agency collaboration and inclusive community engagement at the local level.

The publicjobs competition to recruit the Director of the National Office has concluded and Ms. Gráinne Berrill (formerly Coordinator with the Drogheda Implementation Board) has since taken up her role on a designate basis. She will stand appointed when the Act is commenced.