Garda staff chief calls on O’Brien to resign

The Garda ombudsman chairman has been called on to resign as two Garda staff associations turned on the police watchdog.

The body representing middle-ranking officers said Simon O’Brien “should consider his position”.

John Redmond, general secretary of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, accused Mr O’Brien of “usurping the Government” for not reporting what was going on.

However, under laws governing the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, the watchdog has discretion as to whether or not to bring matters such as the alleged bugging to the justice minister’s attention.

Mr Redmond, representing 2,500 members, further accused the commission of having “no regards for the laws of this country”.

He said GSOC’s statement — in which it said it found “no evidence of Garda misconduct” in the alleged surveillance — had cast “a slur” on gardaí, because it inferred they had been under suspicion.

“I feel it’s an outrageous thing to do. We have always supported the idea that an independent organisation must investigate allegations of wrongdoing involving members of An Garda.

“We still stand four-square behind an independent body carrying out those investigations. However, the garda ombudsman has cast aspersions on the good character of the police organisation by their statement.”

And in an unprecedented attack from a Garda body, he said: “It’s quite clear in my mind that the ombudsman commission seems to have forgotten what they’re about. They seem to have no regards for the laws of this country. It casts a huge question mark over the ability of the chairman of the ombudsman commission to carry on in his functions, seeing [as] he has usurped the Government in not reporting what was going on.

“Furthermore, he [Mr O’Brien] suspects somebody of committing a criminal act and he didn’t bother reporting it to the organisation tasked with investigating criminal activities in this country. How can somebody continue in the role they were appointed to in such circumstances? He should consider his position most definitely.”

The head of the largest staff body, the Garda Representative Association, said he was annoyed that the whole question of the security of sensitive personal data of members had been lost.

“There’s a very serious question mark here over the whole security issue surrounding GSOC,” said general secretary PJ Stone, who represents some 10,500 frontline gardaí. “My members are left exposed.

“Their data could have been siphoned off, if in fact this has been the case and if its not the case we need further explanation and we need to have the matter addressed immediately.”

He added: “It seems to me listening to pundits on all sides of the debate that there is a toxic relationship here between the Garda Síochána and the Garda Ombudsman Commission and therefore to remove any hint of suspicion, because I don’t believe there is any garda involvement in this, there should be in independent inquiry set up immediately to get to the bottom of this.”

Asked if the chairman of GSOC should resign, he said: “I don’t think I would look for heads to roll at this stage, because the matter is too serious. What I am more concerned about here is the truth.”