NEWS ARTICLE: Thursday June 3RD 2010
Academic warns of more Garda scandal
As reported by The Irish Times - Thursday, June 3, 2010
Academic warns of more Garda scandal
GENEVIEVE CARBERY
IRELAND NEEDS to be wary of the potential for another scandal in the Garda Síochána, the author of a new book on the Morris tribunal said last night.
International cases show a cycle of policing in which scandal is followed by reform and intense supervision, but is then followed by another scandal, Queens University Belfast law lecturer Vicky Conway said.
“We don’t want other people to experience what the McBreartys and others in Donegal experienced,” she said. Ms Conway was speaking at the launch of her book The Blue Wall of Silence: The Morris Tribunal and Police Accountability in Ireland.
The book was launched by president of the High Court Justice Nicholas Kearns. He said it was a “very fully-researched book” which dealt with “an aspect of policing in this country which caused the gravest of concern”.
Ms Conway expressed “serious concern” about the failure of Government to sufficiently address inadequacies in the Garda Síochána. “We are not improving safeguards but are expanding powers, especially in terms of gangland crime” she said.
The way gardaí conducted interrogations remained a “big problem” and reforms called for by Mr Justice Frederick Morris “had not been implemented”.
A changed Garda culture would be difficult but was needed to deal with the “concerning” issue of gardaí defending each other through a sense of loyalty.
“We could quite possibly not have needed the tribunal if gardaí had told the truth in the first place,” she said.
The control given to the Minister for Justice over the force was among the problems that remained in accountability, she said. The Minister’s power was increased despite Mr Justice Morris pointing to a lack of trust between the department and Garda headquarters.
Ms Conway called for increased public dialogue about what was expected of the Garda and what problems were seen in the force.
Academic warns of more Garda scandal
GENEVIEVE CARBERY
IRELAND NEEDS to be wary of the potential for another scandal in the Garda Síochána, the author of a new book on the Morris tribunal said last night.
International cases show a cycle of policing in which scandal is followed by reform and intense supervision, but is then followed by another scandal, Queens University Belfast law lecturer Vicky Conway said.
“We don’t want other people to experience what the McBreartys and others in Donegal experienced,” she said. Ms Conway was speaking at the launch of her book The Blue Wall of Silence: The Morris Tribunal and Police Accountability in Ireland.
The book was launched by president of the High Court Justice Nicholas Kearns. He said it was a “very fully-researched book” which dealt with “an aspect of policing in this country which caused the gravest of concern”.
Ms Conway expressed “serious concern” about the failure of Government to sufficiently address inadequacies in the Garda Síochána. “We are not improving safeguards but are expanding powers, especially in terms of gangland crime” she said.
The way gardaí conducted interrogations remained a “big problem” and reforms called for by Mr Justice Frederick Morris “had not been implemented”.
A changed Garda culture would be difficult but was needed to deal with the “concerning” issue of gardaí defending each other through a sense of loyalty.
“We could quite possibly not have needed the tribunal if gardaí had told the truth in the first place,” she said.
The control given to the Minister for Justice over the force was among the problems that remained in accountability, she said. The Minister’s power was increased despite Mr Justice Morris pointing to a lack of trust between the department and Garda headquarters.
Ms Conway called for increased public dialogue about what was expected of the Garda and what problems were seen in the force.
NEWS ARTICLE SATURDAY JUNE 5TH 2010
SCANDAL AND REFORM OF GARDA
THE RESPONSE LETTER
As reported by The Irish Times - Saturday, June 5, 2010
Scandal and reform of Garda
Madam,
Your headline “Academic warns of more Garda scandal” (Home New, June 3rd) implied the author of a new book had evidence to substantiate this claim – beyond a reputation as a Belfast law lecturer who researched the findings of the Morris tribunal; the frame of reference for which was the behaviour of certain gardaí in the Donegal division in the 1990s.
From your report it was difficult to discern any detail to justify any inherent allegations other than unspecified international cases showing “a cycle of policing in which scandal is followed by reform, then followed by another scandal”. Members of the Force refute this.
It is often forgotten that Mr Justice Frederick Morris also commended numerous gardaí of all ranks for their honesty and commitment, so when it was suggested that the tribunal would not have been needed “if gardaí had told the truth in the first place” tars the entire force with the one brush. All the evidence concluded the wrongdoing in Donegal was limited to a very small number of gardaí – fewer than 10.
Gardaí now operate under an extremely strict code of discipline that was introduced as part of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 and is overseen by the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) with enhanced powers. The facts speak for themselves.
The Garda Síochána is one of the truly world-class successes of the Irish Republic, creating an unarmed force from the turmoil of Civil War. Many other international case studies show that many governments have tried to recreate this model without similar success.
To suggest that more Garda scandal is inevitable implies a lack of faith in the GSOC and other statutory bodies; we should be informed of the reasoning. It appears you are prepared to voice an allegation without substance. – Yours, etc,
DAMIEN McCARTHY,
President,
Garda Representative
Association,
Phibsboro Tower, Dublin 7.
Scandal and reform of Garda
Madam,
Your headline “Academic warns of more Garda scandal” (Home New, June 3rd) implied the author of a new book had evidence to substantiate this claim – beyond a reputation as a Belfast law lecturer who researched the findings of the Morris tribunal; the frame of reference for which was the behaviour of certain gardaí in the Donegal division in the 1990s.
From your report it was difficult to discern any detail to justify any inherent allegations other than unspecified international cases showing “a cycle of policing in which scandal is followed by reform, then followed by another scandal”. Members of the Force refute this.
It is often forgotten that Mr Justice Frederick Morris also commended numerous gardaí of all ranks for their honesty and commitment, so when it was suggested that the tribunal would not have been needed “if gardaí had told the truth in the first place” tars the entire force with the one brush. All the evidence concluded the wrongdoing in Donegal was limited to a very small number of gardaí – fewer than 10.
Gardaí now operate under an extremely strict code of discipline that was introduced as part of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 and is overseen by the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) with enhanced powers. The facts speak for themselves.
The Garda Síochána is one of the truly world-class successes of the Irish Republic, creating an unarmed force from the turmoil of Civil War. Many other international case studies show that many governments have tried to recreate this model without similar success.
To suggest that more Garda scandal is inevitable implies a lack of faith in the GSOC and other statutory bodies; we should be informed of the reasoning. It appears you are prepared to voice an allegation without substance. – Yours, etc,
DAMIEN McCARTHY,
President,
Garda Representative
Association,
Phibsboro Tower, Dublin 7.
NEWS ARTICLE SATURDAY JUNE 5TH 2010
ARE THE HONEST ONES ALWAYS SILENCE
Mutinous Gardai win battle against Government
As reported by Public Inquiry
Mutinous Gardai win battle against Government
May 2, 2010
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On Tuesday 27th April last the organisation representing rank and file members of our police force committed what the Justice Minister described as an act of mutiny when they accused the Government, Fianna Fail and the Minister himself of national sabotage, corruption and facilitating criminality.
The Minister went on to say that the remarks were
An unprecedented political intervention by a Garda representative and have no place in a modern democracy
and
No democrat could tolerate such political interventions by any member of a police force.
Garda Commissioner, Fachtna Murphy, said he was not happy and would be calling in GRA General Secretary PJ Stone and new GRA President Damien McCarthy to explain their actions.
Fianna Fáil TD Niall Collins said that the outgoing president of the Garda Representative Association, Michael Boyce, (GRA) should be removed from the force for such criticism of the Government, the Minister and Fianna Fáil.
Clearly, the development was seen as extremely serious by the Government and the leadership of the Gardai and, in a functional democracy, strong and decisive action would inevitably follow – so what happened?
On Tuesday the Minister said he was going to do nothing because the Garda responsible for the mutinous statement was the outgoing president of the GRA.
Unfortunately for the Minister the incoming president of the GRA, Damien McCarthy, said he fully agreed with the outgoing president that the Government, Fianna Fail and the Minister himself had been corrupted by years of power.
This was a reiteration of the mutinous statement and provided the Minister with another opportunity to demonstrate that he understood his responsibilities as Justice Minister by taking strong and decisive action.
Predictably, however, Ahern again abdicated responsibility by issuing a wishy-washy statement calling on the GRA to apologise to the Irish people for trying to politicise the police force
The calling in of the mutinous policemen to explain their behaviour by the Garda Commissioner was just as pathetic and ineffective.
Commissioner Murphy reminded the men that they were still Guards and therefore must abide by the rules. He said he could not tolerate political comment from members of the force.
The whole farcical, keystone cops episode was accurately summed up on RTEs News at One (4th report, 2nd item) when it was reported that no action would be taken against O’Boyce because he was the outgoing president of the GRA and no action would be taken against McCarthy because he was the incoming president.
The bottom line is clear: Representatives of rank and file Gardai have (accurately) accused this Government of corruption, criminality and national sabotage.
The abject failure of the State to refute the allegations by taking strong and decisive action can, effectively, be seen as an admission that the charges are true.
This successful challenge to the authority of the State is merely the opening shot of what is to come as our republic continues to be exposed as the fraudulent and failed entity that it has always been.
Mutinous Gardai win battle against Government
May 2, 2010
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
On Tuesday 27th April last the organisation representing rank and file members of our police force committed what the Justice Minister described as an act of mutiny when they accused the Government, Fianna Fail and the Minister himself of national sabotage, corruption and facilitating criminality.
The Minister went on to say that the remarks were
An unprecedented political intervention by a Garda representative and have no place in a modern democracy
and
No democrat could tolerate such political interventions by any member of a police force.
Garda Commissioner, Fachtna Murphy, said he was not happy and would be calling in GRA General Secretary PJ Stone and new GRA President Damien McCarthy to explain their actions.
Fianna Fáil TD Niall Collins said that the outgoing president of the Garda Representative Association, Michael Boyce, (GRA) should be removed from the force for such criticism of the Government, the Minister and Fianna Fáil.
Clearly, the development was seen as extremely serious by the Government and the leadership of the Gardai and, in a functional democracy, strong and decisive action would inevitably follow – so what happened?
On Tuesday the Minister said he was going to do nothing because the Garda responsible for the mutinous statement was the outgoing president of the GRA.
Unfortunately for the Minister the incoming president of the GRA, Damien McCarthy, said he fully agreed with the outgoing president that the Government, Fianna Fail and the Minister himself had been corrupted by years of power.
This was a reiteration of the mutinous statement and provided the Minister with another opportunity to demonstrate that he understood his responsibilities as Justice Minister by taking strong and decisive action.
Predictably, however, Ahern again abdicated responsibility by issuing a wishy-washy statement calling on the GRA to apologise to the Irish people for trying to politicise the police force
The calling in of the mutinous policemen to explain their behaviour by the Garda Commissioner was just as pathetic and ineffective.
Commissioner Murphy reminded the men that they were still Guards and therefore must abide by the rules. He said he could not tolerate political comment from members of the force.
The whole farcical, keystone cops episode was accurately summed up on RTEs News at One (4th report, 2nd item) when it was reported that no action would be taken against O’Boyce because he was the outgoing president of the GRA and no action would be taken against McCarthy because he was the incoming president.
The bottom line is clear: Representatives of rank and file Gardai have (accurately) accused this Government of corruption, criminality and national sabotage.
The abject failure of the State to refute the allegations by taking strong and decisive action can, effectively, be seen as an admission that the charges are true.
This successful challenge to the authority of the State is merely the opening shot of what is to come as our republic continues to be exposed as the fraudulent and failed entity that it has always been.
