The Labour Party has proposed that the key policing monitoring institutions recommended by the Patten report should also be applied to the Garda Siochana.
The party leadership yesterday said issues such as the shooting by the Garda i of Co Longford man John Carthy at Abbeylara and the allegations of corruption in the Co Donegal force had caused public concern.
The deputy leader and spokesman on justice, Mr Brendan Howlin, said the internal Garda inquiry into the shooting had been a case of "the Garda investigating the Garda and reporting to the Garda". New independent authorities were needed to ensure public confidence in policing. Mr Ruairi Quinn, the party leader, said the structures in place for the management of policing in the State dated from the Police Forces Amalgamation Act of 1925. Society had changed a great deal since. "Trust, unfortunately, has broken down in policing in some of our communities," he said.
Mr Howlin and Mr Quinn yesterday announced the proposals for legislation for an independent Garda authority, and a Garda Ombudsman office which would replace the Garda Complaints Board. They also proposed the establishment of county police liaison committees, through which people could have an input into policing in their areas. These would be identical to the District Policing Partnership Boards (DPPBs) proposed by Patten.
Labour also proposed a register of interests of gardai to ensure there was no conflict of interest with their work as officers.
He said the recommendations would be included in the party's next election manifesto and would be included in any programme for government should the party be in government.
There was no immediate reaction from other political parties yesterday. The Garda Representative Association and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors said they had received a copy of the proposals and would be considering them.
The Labour Party proposes a Garda authority which would have 15 members representing business, trade unions, voluntary organisations, community groups and the legal profession, and would be appointed by the Government.
The Government would appoint a Garda commissioner and deputy commissioners from a shortlist drawn up by the authority "following a transparent selection process".