Gardaí attack DPP over comments on prosecutions

GARDA staff representatives yesterday launched a scathing attack on the Director of Public Prosecutions over comments he made following an RTÉ investigation into alleged garda brutality.

The Garda Representative Association (GRA) criticised the DPP for publicly stating that the bulk of complaints against gardaí did not result in a prosecution because the investigations were not completed within the required time.

The statement from the DPP, James Hamilton, was made in the wake of last month's RTÉ Prime Time investigation into alleged abuse cases.

"The DPP has a lifetime-habit of silence as to why people are not prosecuted. Yet he has seen fit to break that vow of silence in respect of the Garda Síochána," said the editorial in the current issue of the Garda Review, the official magazine of the GRA. "This is amazing that the director could so publicly advise that the difficulties relating to the prosecution of members of the Garda Síochána is due to the late arrival of files to his office...and that this is the reason why more members of the force have not been prosecuted.

"What a disingenuous response to the RTÉ Prime Time programme that sought to denigrate the good name and reputation of the entire Force!"

The editorial described the DPP's comments as a cheap shot.

The GRA criticised the DPP for not pointing out that there was no statutory time limit for serious crimes, which are held at circuit court level. It said the DPP did not explain the significant delays that can arise in his own office.

The editorial also criticised the way the DPP dealt with cases involving gardaí.

"A typical example is where a member of the force is charged with a serious offence and where the director suggests that, if the member pleads guilty in the district court, he will allow the district justice to have the jurisdiction.

"But, if the member contests the case, or pleads innocence, the matter is not allowed to be dealt with in the district court but is automatically referred to the circuit court."

The editorial concluded: "Members of the force have, and should have, the absolute right to contest any case to prove their innocence. Whether that should be in the district or circuit court is immaterial, but it is another lever being used to force people into making decisions. This, in our view, is inappropriate."

The DPP declined to comment on the editorial.

Meanwhile, the GRA claimed gardaí are unskilled in how to respond to joyriding and other high speed incidents.

Figures show that garda vehicles are involved in around 450 crashes every year and are at least partly to blame for almost half of all road smashes involving patrol cars.

"The backlog of applications for driving courses at the training college in Templemore and in Dublin mean a number of Garda are driving patrol cars with nothing more than a full, clean driving licence," said Michael Kirby, president of the Garda Representative Association (GRA).

"Our concern is for the safety of Gardaí in high risk situations. While advanced training is not so much an issue for someone making routine enquiries as part of a standard investigation, operational personnel are often working in critical situations."

Commenting in the current issue of the Garda Review, the magazine of the GRA, he said: "The standard of training is high but the schools cannot cope and our members want to be trained."