Garda boss says he’s not to blame for soaring crime

GARDA Commissioner Pat Byrne has reacted angrily to accusations his performance was not up to scratch.

In a stormy exchange at a Dáil Justice Committee hearing yesterday, Commissioner Byrne rejected an accusation he was to blame for the dramatic rise in crime last year.

Fine Gael justice spokesman John Deasy said that since Commissioner Byrne took up his post, crime had increased in every category.