Gardaí call for mental health expertise

MIDDLE-RANKING gardaí have slammed the continuing failure to provide formal mental health expertise to gardaí dealing with barricade incidents.

The call comes on the eve of the 11th anniversary of the shooting dead of John Carthy by gardaí at Abbeylara, Co Longford.

At their annual conference, the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) asked Justice Minister Alan Shatter if it would take a repeat of this tragedy before the issue was addressed.

A report by the Garda Inspectorate published in February 2007 called for the creation of a panel of mental health experts to assist gardaí in dealing with barricade incidents by the end of 2008.

The inspectorate’s report was based on the findings of the Barr Tribunal, which examined the shooting of Mr Carthy on April 20, 2000. Mr Carthy, who suffered from manic depression, was armed and fired a number of shots at officers over April 19 and 20 before being fatally shot by the Garda’s elite Emergency Response Unit.

The inspectorate published a report last August criticising the failure to set up the mental health panel and said discussions between the Garda and the HSE had to be concluded “without further delay”.

At the opening of the AGSI conference in Limerick, association president Aidan O’Donnell said: “It is extremely disappointing to note that the Garda Síochána still does not have an established panel of mental health available to us to assist in dealing with barricade incidents.”

He said it was “ironic” that today was the 11th anniversary of the beginning of that tragedy.

“We are now 11 years on from the incident and over two years since that panel was to have been established. Yet, colleagues, nothing has happened.”

He said that Garda management and the HSE still relied on informal arrangements regarding the provision of psychiatric services to gardaí.

“Despite all the agreements that have been reached and protocols put in place, the support of a mental health professional is critical to the effective management of these type of incidents.”

He said informal arrangements were not sufficient and that talks were going on too long.

“The protocols were meant to be in place over two years ago. How long more are these discussions going to take before an agreement is reached? Is it a resource issue within the HSE, minister? Will it take another critical incident resulting in a fatality before this is properly concluded?”

Mr Shatter was due to attend last night, but has been delayed until tomorrow because of Oireachtas duties.

Mr O’Donnell said: “We recognise that many of these individuals involved in barricade-type incidents can be labouring under some form of psychiatric condition and consequently they need to be managed sensitively and appropriately.

“We also recognise that these individuals can represent a very real and significant threat to our members and others. It is for these reasons that we require the support of mental health professionals.”