Gardaí criticised in reports ‘entitled to retire’

GARDA Commissioner Noel Conroy yesterday said he could not stop senior gardaí strongly criticised in Morris Tribunal reports from retiring.

Chief Superintendent Denis Fitzpatrick retired after the first tribunal report, in which he was criticised for being negligent.

He was also strongly criticised in the second report.

Superintendent John Fitzgerald, Supt Joe Shelly and Supt John McGinley were criticised for being negligent in the second report.

Supt Fitzgerald retired before the second report, while the other two officers retired afterwards.

“Members have a statutory entitlement to retire if they have served 30 years and have reached 50,” he said.

He said Judge Morris had said that officers criticised should be allowed to keep their pension entitlements.

Mr Conroy said he had transferred five other gardaí criticised in the second report from Donegal to Dublin

Referring to comments by Justice Minister Michael McDowell that garda management failed to send over the full Carty report - the 1999 internal garda probe into Donegal - Mr Conroy said that was as a result of legal advice at the time.

He said the full file went to the DPP and that a synopsis was forwarded to the Department of Justice.

He said the Carty investigation recommended to the DPP that four gardaí be prosecuted.

Mr Conroy rejected media reports that he supported the initial garda investigation into Mr Barron’s death in a submission to the Morris Tribunal.

He said the submission was a collective one representing the views of many gardaí, including those criticised by Morris.