Concerns expressed by policing expert Dr Vicky Conway that the Irish Government’s proposals for a new independent Policing Authority have been ‘watered down’ are heavily quoted in an article published in the Irish Examiner.
Dr Conway’s comments come after the publication of legislation providing for the establishment of the new independent body earlier this week by Ireland’s Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald.
In the Irish Examiner article, ‘Policing body plans ‘watered down’, Dr Conway expresses her concern that ‘new legislation will not be enough to end the “cycle of scandal-reform, scandal-reform” that has beset the force.’
Earlier in the week Dr Conway was interviewed for the Irish evening news radio programme Drivetime (approx. 51 minutes in), on RTE1.
Asked by show host Mary Wilson whether the legislation signalled the sea change indicated by the Minister for Justice, Dr Conway said: ‘I think it’ll be a very significant change, I’m not quite sure I’d go as far as say a sea change but I think the establishment of an independent body that takes control of much of the governance of an Garda Síochána (Ireland’s police force) is a very positive and necessary development in Irish policing.’
Dr Conway’s research expertise in policing, miscarriages of justice and criminology is regularly called upon by Irish media. Last year, she was quoted as a ‘top security expert’ by Irish newspaper, Herald.ie. She has previously appeared on RTE Radio 1’s Morning Ireland show, the Morning Edition on RTE One (a live, national news and discussion programme on Ireland’s mainstream television channel) and on Newstalk’s Lunchtime radio programme.
Dr Conway is the author of The Blue Wall of Silence on police accountability and the Morris Tribunal. Her third book, Policing Twentieth Century Ireland was published last year by Routledge. For more information about her research and publications, visit Dr Conway’s staff profile page.