Policing Authority meetings
The Authority holds a full day meeting each month, except in the month of August. The agenda for this meeting is published on the website one week in advance and can be found via the Upcoming Meetings page. The schedule of meetings for the year is published in advance and distinguishes between meetings to be held in private or public.
In addition, additional meetings may be called if required.
Policing Authority meetings with the Garda Commissioner
A key aspect of the Authority’s oversight is its engagement with the Garda Commissioner. Each monthly meeting includes a meeting with the Garda Commissioner. The Garda Síochána (Policing Authority and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2015 requires that the Authority hold at least four meetings per annum with the Commissioner in public which are available to be broadcast by the media. To date the Authority has held five meetings with the Commissioner in public each year.
Meetings held in public
One of the Policing Authority’s core values is transparency. In keeping with this and its statutory obligations, the Authority holds some of its meetings with the Garda Commissioner in public. These meetings can be attended by the public and media and are live streamed so that they can be viewed on line. Recordings of previous meetings are available to view and can be found in:
The agendas for meetings with the Garda Commissioner cover a range of topics in relation to policing performance including topical issues relating to policing. The Commissioner's Monthly Report to the Policing Authority is also discussed.
On occasion, meetings with the Commissioner in public focus on a particular theme which allows for a more in-depth discussion around certain important topics. To date these have included Roads Policing (April 2017), Training (May 2017), Children (April 2018), Diversity (June 2018) and the Garda Youth Diversion Programme (January 2019). Themed meetings and preparation may be undertaken in consultation with relevant civil society groups and provide a focus and a forum for a public discussion on areas of particular public interest.
Attending Meetings held in public
Members of the public and representatives of stakeholders and interest groups are welcome to attend the Authority’s meetings in public. There is no charge for attending one of our meetings and if you are interested in attending a meeting please visit Upcoming Meetings for details of future meetings. We ask that attendees register in advance of attending a meeting using the booking facility on the Upcoming Meeting page. This is required so that we can make arrangements including for capacity and managing health and safety issues.
Authority meetings with the Garda Commissioner in public are an engagement between the Authority and the Garda Commissioner which members of the public and media are present to observe. There will be no opportunities for the audience to participate in the meeting.
Visit Guidelines for attending Authority meetings for further details about attending meetings held in public.
