Enda Kenny hints at new body to oversee Garda

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has left the door open for the creation of a new authority to oversee the management and accountability of An Garda Síochána.

He said the recent controversies had exposed shortcomings in the management of the police force and Justice Minister Alan Shatter will be making recommendations on reform.

The Taoiseach was reacting to a call by Labour backbenchers for the creation of a new Garda authority to monitor the performance of the force and hold senior officers to account. Such a body would sever the direct reporting line between the Garda commissioner and the justice minister and replicate the establishment of a similar body that oversees the PSNI in the North.

Speaking in Boston, Mr Kenny said the Government wanted An Garda Síochána to be aware of the need for “effectiveness, accountability, and transparency”.

“I think the minister for justice will bring recommendations to Government in due course about the issues insofar as the oversight and the effectiveness of oversight of the Garda is concerned. We await the minister’s memo.

“There is a willingness to see that this is put on the basis of exceptional competence, accountability, transparency and oversight...

“You can’t have a police force without the trust of the people, that is absolute imperative. The Garda Siochána over so many years have done an exceptional job. But time is changing and we move on. Clearly the most recent controversy has shown up lack of management capacity in some areas.”

Mr Kenny’s comments came as the chairman of the Road Safety Authority, Gay Byrne, said the two whistleblowers have been “grossly wronged” and deserve an apology from Mr Shatter.

During his radio show on Lyric FM Mr Byrne said he had a number of issues with the penalty points scandal as RSA chairman. But he said the manner in which retired garda John Wilson and Sgt Maurice McCabe were treated was wrong.

“John Wilson and Sgt McCabe, they have been grossly wronged, they have been ballyragged and contradicted and made to feel badly and the right thing to do now would be to come out in the open and say ‘we are sorry these guys have been wronged’,” he said.

Mr Byrne said, irrespective of the particulars of each case, there was a perception that the two gardaí who worked to expose the penalty points failures were badly treated. And he said Mr Shatter and, if necessary, the Garda commissioner should apologise and Mr Wilson should be reinstated to the force if he wishes.

The Taoiseach would not be drawn on Mr Byrne’s comments but said the minister would deal with the issues raised by the report of the Garda Inspectorate when the Dáil resumes.

Last year Mr Shatter and Mr Byrne clashed when the RSA chairman said it appeared Garda enforcement levels had dropped.

In Australia Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney said it was important whistleblowers within the force had protection.

“We have to put a credible system in place for the Garda and the other sectors of the Irish state infrastructure, so that if people have complaints to make they should be facilitated in making those complaints and they should be supported and protected in doing that.”