Michael Clifford It is inconceivable that Gsoc would not recommend a major overhaul of the ‘maze’ that is the Garda discipline process, writes Michael Clifford.

He decided to take early retirement five years ago following 38 years as Ireland’s most prolific newsman. But Charlie Bird has not taken up any new hobby, or — perish the thought — golf.

The most senior garda in Donegal has said she did not deliberately omit making a note at the time of a decision to begin an investigation into allegations of domestic abuse against whistleblower Garda Keith Harrison.

Some books have their genesis in the craziest places, but the origin of A Force For Justice is pretty mundane, writes Michael Clifford.

Peter Charleton, who will chair the inquiry into the alleged smearing of a garda whistleblower, believes that lies underpin evil, says Dan Buckley

A garda sergeant injured during an incident with a member of the McBrearty family from Donegal has been awarded more than €55,000 in compensation by the High Court.

Facing into another tribunal, change is still evading the gardaí years after the Morris Tribunal was supposed to herald a new dawn for the force, writes Michael Clifford.

WHEN, on Monday, he offered opening remarks at the tribunal considering allegations that there was a campaign led by senior garda officers to discredit whistleblower Sgt Maurice McCabe, Supreme Court judge, Mr Justice Peter Charleton, set some ground rules and underlined the absolute need for truthful testimony.

The judge chairing the Disclosure Tribunal says that while its findings may not be to everyone’s taste, the truth is powerful and will be victorious, writes Cormac O’Keeffe

Unless everything is a ball of smoke, then it’s not just the upper echelons of An Garda Síochána that will be damaged by Judge Charleton’s inquiry, writes Michael Clifford

Update 8pm: Sinn Féin's Jonathan O’Brien has also called for Garda Commissioner, Noirín O'Sullivan, to step aside.

We have a shameful history in how we deal with those who are brave enough to speak out against abuses of power — and this must change, says Brendan Howlin

The first legal officer with the Criminal Assets Bureau, credited with drafting the legislation that paved the way for CAB, said legislation allowing the submission of ‘belief evidence’ from senior gardaí at trials is needed to tackle organised crime.

The Policing Authority has expressed serious concern at “systemic performance and management failures” within An Garda Síochána and “deep unease” at the organisation and management culture of the force.

The new Policing Authority has announced its arrival and wasted little time in heaping more pressure on a beleaguered Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan.

This week’s 400-page report from the Garda Inspectorate follows a similar 490-page report last

Q: Why are there concerns that the Oireachtas banking inquiry could collapse or is descending into chaos?

Events in Donegal led to the establishment of the Garda Siochána Ombudsman Commission and, by tragic irony, it is issues in that county that have now put the same body under investigation.

Nóirín O’Sullivan has had luck on her side but she will have to perform her new role under greater scrutiny than any of her predecessors have faced, writes Michael Clifford

The Garda informant intelligence system has "limited, if any, credibility" with the majority of detectives and senior gardaí, according to the Garda Inspectorate.

As part of the ‘Irish Examiner’s third day of analysis on the Garda Inspectorate report, Cormac O’Keeffe uncovers the crisis in the force’s informant handling system

The complete lack of leadership, both within the force and from its political masters, has been key to the failings highlighted this week, says Michael Clifford

The top civil servant at the Department of Justice is to step down after the publication of a damning report into the running of the Department.

A Dublin man, who headbutted a senior member of the judiciary and punched a security guard at the Four Courts, has received a €500 fine and a seven-month suspended sentence.

MEP Jim Higgins yesterday said he has brought what he considers "genuine" complaints from two garda whistleblowers to the attention of the Department of Justice and the new minister, Frances Fitzgerald.

The State has agreed to pay the court costs of Ireland’s original whistleblowers after discovering that gardaí withheld vital information on their case.

Ireland is very good at producing reports but hopeless about taking action. Regrettably, the reality is that official probes by or into agencies of the State usually end up gathering dust on ministerial shelves.

After a week of revelations, seven hours of Dáil debate, scores of opinions, and a few conspiracy theories, many questions still remain about the twin controversies of the Garda phone recordings and the whistleblower allegations.

There are fears the revelations of secret recording of phone calls in Garda stations could throw hundreds of criminal convictions into question.

A former Garda Ombudsman commissioner has taken issue with comments made by Justice Minister Alan Shatter in which he claimed the watchdog had not felt it “necessary” to take action in relation to complaints made by whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe.

Enda Kenny said a review of claims of malpractice in the force by a Garda whistleblower will assess the “investigative methods and processes” previously used to examine the allegations.

Frank McBrearty Jnr, whose family were famously the victims of Garda corruption in Co Donegal, has called for a public inquiry into policing.

Frank McBrearty Junior is calling for the positions of Garda Commissioner, Minister for Justice and Garda Ombudsman to be "completely independent".

Oliver J Connolly was sacked by his erstwhile buddy, Justice Minister Alan Shatter, but there is absolutely no evidence of any wrongdoing on his part, writes Michael Clifford

GSOC-gate judge must be granted the legal powers to do the job, writes Mark Kelly

The confidential garda recipient was a key institution set up to help address the chronic failures identified by the Morris Tribunal into endemic corruption in the Donegal division.

A Garda whistleblower has described the sacking of the force’s confidential recipient as "disturbing".

The confidential recipient in the Garda who hears complaints of malpractice from serving officers has been sacked.