Opposition warns claims of widespread corruption could damage trust in force
Fine Gael’s justice spokesman Jim O’Keeffe said suggestions of widespread indiscipline in the gardaí could further damage the trust between the force and the community.
“The revelations from Donegal were distressing in their own right, but Justice Morris’s claims of problems elsewhere in the gardaí must now be acted on,” he said.
Mr O’Keeffe said the new disciplinary and promotions regulations announced by the Justice Minister Michael McDowell were a welcome step but added that they were piecemeal and did not go far enough.
His colleague Jim Higgins MEP — who, along with Labour’s justice spokesman Brendan Howlin, first raised the McBrearty case in the Dáil over six years ago — called on Mr McDowell and Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy to publicly apologise to the families affected by the misbehaviour of gardaí.
Mr Howlin said the findings added to the deep sense of public unease and increased the case for fundamental reform of the gardaí.
In relation to Mr Justice Morris’s claims of wider indiscipline and insubordination outside Donegal, Mr Howlin said the implications of this were “profoundly disturbing”.
Mr Howlin said that after the first Morris Report two years ago, the minister said he would introduce new disciplinary regulations within a matter of weeks.
“As usual in the case of Minister McDowell, this did not happen and he is re-announcing the new regulations today,” he said.
Green Party Justice spokesperson Ciarán Cuffe called for gardaí against whom adverse findings were made to be sacked.
“Now is the time for firings within the gardaí. It is unacceptable for members of the force who have grossly abused their powers to remain in their jobs. The minister and commissioner must act decisively to expel the rotten apples,” he said.
Sinn Féin’s Aengus Ó Snodaigh called for investigations into corruption outside of Donegal to be investigated, in light of the damning findings made by Justice Morris.
Referring to the findings on widespread indiscipline, Mr Ó Snodaigh said: “If this culture of corruption is to be rooted out of the gardaí, then people must be held to account including those right at the very top.”
