Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today.

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.

LET’S get Alan Shatter back his job. Let’s start a campaign here for a man who has been grievously wronged. Isn’t that the implication of the Cooke report into alleged bugging of the Garda Ombudsman’s office? Shatter was right all along. There was bugger-all bugging going on.

The Garda watchdog has been criticised for wasting taxpayers’ money after it emerged it is now offering to pay the High Court expenses of two gardaí it tried to discipline, even after a lower court ruled they acted properly.

The garda watchdog said it wanted expanded powers, claiming it should be able to review minor disputes all the way up to investigating the Garda commissioner.

In the end, it was not the misleading remarks about garda whistleblowers on the floor of the Dáil; it was not the misuse of confidential information against a political opponent during a live television debate; and it was not the attempt to play down concerns that the Garda watchdog was being monitored.

It was the best wedding present Garda Fiona Sheehan could have received.

Attacks on gardaí are becoming more vicious and more common, according to the association representing frontline staff, which has demanded that the Department of Justice publishes the number of assaults annually.

A blistering attack was yesterday launched on Alan Shatter claiming the administration of justice was in crisis due to his “actions, inaction and incompetence”.

Justice Minister Alan Shatter has said that he has full confidence in the members of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission.

The notion that we live in a true democracy is a joke, judging by the response by Government, gardaí, and parts of the media to suspected bug at GSOC offices, says Michael Clifford

The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission will come under intense pressure today to explain who leaked the alleged bugging allegations to the media.

Who’s bugging whom?

The Government’s rush to demand explanations from the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission as to why it didn’t tell them of its concerns that its offices were bugged is another example of the Coalition’s attempts to deflect attention away from its own responsibilities.

The Union of Students in Ireland said gardaí have “questions to answer” about their policing of a student protest following a hard-hitting report by the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission.

The Garda watchdog has criticised members of the force for being “slow” and “less than optimal” in co-operating with an investigation which ultimately led to two gardaí being convicted for assault and another for attempting to pervert the course of justice.

A Garda watchdog will launch an investigation into the quashing of penalty points by officers within the force in the coming days.

The report of a high-level independent investigation into allegations of collusion between gardaí and a convicted drugs trafficker is expected to be published shortly.

A policing watchdog has issued an urgent alert over the lack of supervision, by sergeants, of rank-and-file gardaí.

Independent TD Clare Daly is considering making a second complaint to the Garda watchdog about her arrest on suspicion of drink-driving.

The independence of the Garda Ombudsman Commission has been called into question at an inquest in Limerick into the deaths of two men who were hit by a car driven by a garda who was going off duty late at night.

The Garda watchdog is concerned at the continuing high number of complaints from the public regarding road traffic incidents involving gardaí.

The Garda watchdog has urged the force’s chief to take disciplinary action against one officer over an investigation into the “rape tape” controversy.

The Garda ombudsman has launched an inquiry into the Garda handling of abuse claims in the diocese of Cloyne.

With the end of the extradition process, the focus in the ongoing Ian Bailey saga now shifts to the Garda ombudsman investigation.

The Garda Ombudsman has launched an investigation into how gardaí handled the Sophie Toscan du Plantier murder probe.

The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) has moved a step closer towards launching an investigation into the Garda handling of cases criticised in the Cloyne report.

THE Garda watchdog which investigated the death of a man following a Garda drugs raid in Cork almost four years ago has pledged to provide whatever documents it can to his family.

JUSTICE Minister Brendan Smith is being urged to intervene in a worsening public row between the biggest Garda staff association and the state’s Garda watchdog.

DOZENS of gardaí are being investigated for alleged assault or abuse of power when using pepper spray.

SOME 28 people have made official complaints to the Garda Ombudsman Commission following clashes between gardaí and students last week.

THE Garda Ombudsman yesterday said it will respond “very sympathetically” to anyone with complaints arising the Murphy report.

AN English academic has criticised the Garda Ombudsman after its investigation into the alleged mistreatment of his partner by members of the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) three years ago found no wrong-doing.

THE Government’s choice to chair the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission is still considering whether to accept the job after a week of controversy about his nomination.

THE Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) is conducting preliminary inquiries into alleged links between a convicted drug dealer and individual gardaí.

THE Garda watchdog is investigating a tragic road accident in Co Galway in which the mother of a garda was killed.

GARDA Commissioner Noel Conroy yesterday hit back at criticisms of him and the force by the head of the Garda watchdog.

The Garda today flatly dismissed scathing criticism over its alleged inability to apologise for wrongdoing.

GARDAÍ have a “total inability” to apologise to people when they make genuine mistakes, the head of a Garda watchdog said yesterday.

There is mounting speculation that the Chief of Police in Boston will become the first head of the Garda Watchdog.

A Garda watchdog group has proposed new legislation to give it more power to conduct investigations into complaints made against the Force.