A new report on the future of policing in the Republic has recommended the devolution of power from the Garda Commissioner into the hands of assistant commissioners in the regions, The Irish Times has learned.
The report also recommends a significant programme of civilianisation across the Garda Síochána and the overhaul of garda training.
The report has been submitted to Minister for Justice Michael McDowell and is due for publication in the next week.
It was drawn up by members of a committee appointed last April by Mr McDowell to advise on the implementation of the Garda Síochána Act, which provides for the Garda Ombudsman Commission and the Garda Inspectorate.
The committee was chaired by independent senator Maurice Hayes. Mr Hayes previously undertook a review which led to the establishment of the Police Ombudsman in Northern Ireland.
The committee believes that if the Garda Síochána Act is to modernise the force in the manner envisaged by the Government, in-service training needs to be radically overhauled and much greater resources committed to it.
The report's authors also believe that not only should gardaí on administrative duties be replaced with civilian workers, but work such as forensic examinations and the analysis of intelligence should also be done by civilians.
The recommendations on devolution would concentrate more day- to-day power in the hands of six regional assistant commissioners based in Dublin, Kilkenny, Cork, Galway, Sligo and Mullingar.
It would result in these officers being responsible for all aspects, including budgets, of policing in their areas while operating within broad policing plans approved by the Garda Commissioner.
Currently the six regional assistant commissioners report to the deputy commissioner with responsibility for operations, Fachtna Murphy. He reports to the Garda Commissioner, Noel Conroy.
Since the enactment of the Garda Síochána Act last summer, the committee has been overseeing its implementation.
Informed sources have told The Irish Times that the report concludes that the preparatory work for the roll-out of the Ombudsman Commission, the Garda Inspectorate and joint policing committees is taking place according to plan.
The Garda Ombudsman Commission is an independent body which will investigate complaints against individual gardaí.
The inspectorate will be responsible for policy in the force and ensuring that it is run to international best practice standards.
The joint policing committees will provide a forum for gardaí, local authorities and other groups to plan local policy around the State.
