Garda Síochána Act 2005

35

Guidelines concerning joint policing committees.

35.— F71[(1) The Authority shall, after consulting with the Minister and the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, issue to local authorities and the Garda Commissioner guidelines concerning the establishment and maintenance of joint policing committees by local authorities and the Garda Commissioner.]

(2) Guidelines issued under this section concerning a joint policing committee may include provision for—

(a) the establishment of the committee,

(b) the membership of the committee, including the appointment to it of—

(i) members of the local authority concerned nominated by it for such appointment,

(ii) members of the Garda Síochána nominated by the Garda Commissioner in accordance with subsection (3),

(iii) F71[members of the Houses of the Oireachtas],

(iv) persons nominated by other public authorities, and

(v) such other persons (including persons representing local community interests) as may be provided for in the guidelines,

(c) the appointment as chairperson of the committee of a member of the local authority concerned who has been nominated in accordance with paragraph (b)(i),

(d) the term of office of the chairperson and other members of the committee,

(e) matters arising in connection with the attendance at committee meetings of members who are also F71[members of the Houses of the Oireachtas],

(f) the circumstances in which committee meetings may be held otherwise than in public,

(g) the establishment, membership, terms of reference and procedures of subcommittees,

(h) the preparation of reports by the committee, their ratification by the local authority concerned and their distribution,

(i) the co-operation of the committee with other joint policing committees,

(j) the joint action of the committee and other joint policing committees,

(k) the funding of the committee and F71[any subcommittees,]

F71[(l) the establishment and operation by the committee as it considers necessary of local policing fora within neighbourhoods of the administrative area of the local authority concerned to discuss and make recommendations to the committee concerning matters that the committee is to keep under review under section 36(2)(a) or on which the committee is to advise under section 36(2) (b), insofar as those matters affect their neighbourhoods,

(m) the co-operation of, and consultation by, the committee with such other public authorities, bodies or persons, including local policing fora referred to in paragraph (l), as may be required by the committee in the performance of its functions, and

(n) such other matters as the Authority considers appropriate.]

(3) In nominating members of the Garda Síochána for appointment to a joint policing committee, the Garda Commissioner shall have regard to the need to ensure that such members are of appropriate rank and seniority.

F71[(4) The Authority may, after consulting with the Minister and the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

(a) revise any guidelines issued under this section, or

(b) withdraw those guidelines and issue new guidelines.

(5) The Authority shall supply a copy of guidelines issued under this section, and of any revisions to them, to the Minister as soon as practicable after the guidelines are issued or revised and the Minister shall cause a copy of such guidelines, and of any revisions to them, to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as practicable after he or she receives them.]

F72[(6) The Authority may convene meetings of the chairpersons, and such other members as the Authority considers appropriate, of joint policing committees for the purpose of coordinating, or otherwise facilitating, the performance by such committees of the functions assigned to them.]

Annotations

Amendments:

F71

Substituted (23.12.2015) by Garda Síochána (Policing Authority and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2015 (49/2015), s. 29(1)(a)-(c), S.I. No. 612 of 2015, subject to transitional provisions in subs. (2).

F72

Inserted (23.12.2015) by Garda Síochána (Policing Authority and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2015 (49/2015), s. 29(1)(d), S.I. No. 612 of 2015.