Situations involving mental illness feature strongly in cases involving death or serious injury investigated by the Garda Ombudsman, the watchdog’s annual report shows.

The Garda watchdog has welcomed improved levels of co-operation from members of the force in the past year but claims there is room for further improvement.

A judicial inquiry has found that the initial decision by the Garda Ombudsman to launch a criminal investigation into Sergeant Michael Galvin, who subsequently took his own life, was “mistaken”.

The Garda Ombudsman is examining the circumstances surrounding the death of a man in his 70s while in custody at Westport Garda Station in Co Mayo today.

Garda Ombudsman is not going to investigate the allegations of two former gardaí who claim they were witnesses to unauthorised bugging of witnesses, it has been reported.

Middle-ranking gardaí have called on the Taoiseach to set up a judicial inquiry into how the Garda Ombudsman conducted an investigation into a sergeant who took his own life last week.

The Government is expected to publish legislation on the new policing authority and advertise for the head of the Garda Ombudsman within weeks.

The Garda Ombudsman is investigating after a man in his early 40s was found dead in Co Kerry.

Further explanations have been demanded about who tried to contact witnesses before they spoke to retired judge, John Cooke, in an attempt to influence his investigation into allegations of bugging at the Garda Ombudsman Commission’s office.

The Garda Ombudsman should be empowered to investigate poor standards of policing, inspect Garda stations uninhibited, and commence its own inquiries.

Education Minister Ruairí Quinn has defied Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s plea to keep criticism of the Garda Commissioner within the confines of Cabinet.

The two garda whistle-blowers had “no basis” for continuing to trawl Garda computer data and disclosing it outside the force once they had reported their allegations of malpractice, the State’s data watchdog has said.

“It would be better if the heat were taken out of it, rather than people digging in their heels.”

A clearly annoyed Taoiseach delivered a sharp message to his Coalition partners and his own ministers, telling them to talk to him first before going public with issues.

Fine Gael backbenchers have cast doubt over the position of the Garda commissioner after calls by senior ministers for him to apologise over remarks he made about whistleblowers.

The wife of one of the garda whistleblowers, John Wilson, believes years of stress contributed to his bowel cancer.

The Garda Ombudsman said it “does not anticipate difficulties” in its high-profile investigation into the penalty point controversy.

A garda has been given High Court permission to challenge a decision to re-open a disciplinary complaint against him in connection with an investigation involving murderer Jerry McGrath.

Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan and Ombudsman chairman Simon O’Brien could appear before an Oireachtas committee review of oversight laws.

Fresh concerns are being expressed at the ability of the Garda ombudsman to do its job effectively after figures show staff levels have been cut by more than 20% since 2007.

It is time to redesign the architecture of Garda accountability, writes Mark Kelly

Garda management has hit back at claims by whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe that he was not directed to co-operate with an internal inquiry and that no attempts were made to seek his input.

Among the dozen cases in the dossier passed onto Enda Kenny by Micheál Martin, was one Sergeant Maurice McCabe claims was the last straw for him at Bailieborough station.

Whistleblower Sgt Maurice McCabe’s secret taping of a conversation and RTÉ’s part in the saga raise many issues, writes Michael Clifford

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.

The opposition has said the Government’s plans to ask a barrister to review a dossier of alleged wrongdoing in the Garda is “unbelievable”.

“Another investigation of paper behind closed doors will be wholly inadequate in addressing the real concerns about policing, which is a fundamental branch of the administration of the State.”

The powers of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) are to be increased after the Cabinet decided to replace the confidential recipient process by allowing serving gardaí to make their complaints directly to GSOC itself.

The coalition is under pressure to take action to resolve the crisis on the third anniversary of the last election, writes Political Reporter Juno McEnroe

The greatest enemy a besieged city, a disdainful, ring-fenced establishment or a past-his-sell-by-date tyrant face — as the ousted and fugitive Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovich will confirm — is time.

An internal review has been ordered at the Department of Justice amid mounting pressure on Justice Minister Alan Shatter to address opposition claims that he did nothing about Garda malpractice allegations for two years.

Mary Lynch was working her taxi for just over two hours when she encountered Jerry McGrath. It was 2.15am on Monday, April 30, 2007. McGrath emerged from the nightclub in the Headford Arms Hotel in Kells, Co Meath, and asked would she take him to Virginia, Co Cavan, where his sister lived. He was from Dundrum in Tipperary, but was staying with his sister.

Labour has backed embattled Justice Minister Alan Shatter amid claims that he ignored serious allegations of Garda malpractice for over two years.

A row has erupted over claims a former member of the judiciary appointed to lead an inquiry into the Garda ombudsman bugging scandal is a “Fine Gael judge”.

Justice Minister Alan Shatter is still refusing to apologise to garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe, amid calls that he correct the Dáil record over comments he made about him last October.

A woman attacked by a man who went on to murder Sylvia Roche Kelly in Limerick in December 2007 has claimed the 33-year-old would still be alive if her own case had been handled properly by gardaí.

Eight TDs yesterday called on embattled Justice Minister Alan Shatter to resign in the wake of the alleged bugging of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman’s offices.

THE breakdown in the relationship between the Garda Ombudsman and the Minister for Justice has deepened following Alan Shatter’s appearance at an Oireachtas committee on Wednesday evening.

Whistleblower ‘usually ends up the victim’

Rank-and-file gardaí are demanding the garda watchdog make a full apology to two of their colleagues who were charged with causing harm to a violent youth they were forced to subdue with pepper spray — and then had the charges against them dismissed.

Government rallies around justice minister amid calls for him to resign

The Dáil was rocked with accusations that Garda incompetence may have led to a murder and violent assaults being carried out.

Justice minister Alan Shatter has cast doubt on the Garda Ombudsman’s justification for launching a public interest investigation into suspected bugging at its Dublin headquarters.

Justice Minister Alan Shatter has said there was “nothing to indicate” gardaí were engaged in surveillance of the Garda Ombudsman at the time the watchdog set up an inquiry to investigate if members were involved.