Flanagan has ‘open mind’ on making Gsoc independent

Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has an “open mind” on separating the Garda Siochána Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc) from the Department of Justice, The Irish Times reports.

Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring, chairperson of Gsoc, has said independence for the commission would help improve “public confidence” in its work.

She told The Irish Times: “I don’t see why we shouldn’t be independent of the department which also has responsibility for the organisation, the Garda, which we oversee.

“It would give public confidence in the work that we do in that we are not particularly attached to any Minister one way or the other.”

Ms Justice Ring added: “It would also give confidence to the gardaí we are dealing with, that we are working to their benefit as well as to the benefit of the public, not anyone else.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Justice said Mr Flanagan had an “open mind” on the suggestions, but would await the outcome of a departmental review by consultants Mazars before considering it.