Funding plea for Garda Ombudsman

THE Garda Ombudsman, and not the Government, should determine the level of resources and staffing that it needs, a top-level expert group said yesterday.

The Department of Justice-appointed group called for an external body to monitor the transformation of An Garda Síochána over the next three years.

"Staffing and resources made available (to the Ombudsman Commission) should depend on their interpretation of the task and not the other way around," said Senator Maurice Hayes, chairman of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 Implementation Review Group.

Launching the report, Mr Hayes said:

* Gardaí felt undervalued both by the public and by their organisation.

* The force needed to recruit more people from working class communities.

* The most senior positions in the force should be open to police officers from other countries.

* More civilians should be recruited, including clerical workers and those with specialist financial or criminal expertise.

* More power within the force should be devolved to the regions.

The report said the €10 million allocated to the Ombudsman Commission for the coming year "should be adequate" for foreseeable staffing levels.

It recommended two regional headquarters be set up for the south-west and north-west to support the head office in Dublin.

The group commended the progress made by both the Department of Justice and An Garda Síochána in implementing the key changes outlined in the Garda Síochána Act, including:

* Establishment of the Ombudsman Commission to investigate complaints against gardaí.

* Establishment of the Garda Inspectorate, to monitor the efficiency and effectiveness of the force.

* Establishment of Joint Policing Committees, involving gardaí and local representatives and officials.

* New Garda Discipline Regulations and Code of Ethics.

* Transfer of accounting officer function to the garda commissioner.

* Establishment of performance targets of the force by the minister.

The group said the Garda Inspectorate should be able to receive confidential reports from whistleblowers.

It said there was a need to strengthen middle management to ensure recruits were properly supervised.

It said the ratio of sergeants to gardaí appeared to have "slipped".

Justice Minister Michael McDowell said he imagined the Ombudsman Commission would have between 50 and 100 staff and would be operational by early 2007.

He said it might look at different methods of advertising so as to attract working class youths.

He said he received a report from Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy yesterday on the Garda Reserve.

"I fundamentally believe that An Garda Síochána is in danger of being cut off at the roots from the community it serves."

He said the reserve could prevent this.

Mr Hayes said that while the review group didn't discuss the reserve, he said, speaking personally, it was a "good" idea.