Gardaí ‘hurting’, acting chief admits

Acting Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan has said an internal survey of frontline gardaí shows they were "hurting" from the succession of controversies battering the force.

Speaking at a consultation forum on justice, focusing on the planned establishment of a policing authority, the interim boss said members were “very concerned” at everything that had happened to the force.

Again promising an era of openness and transparency, she said she would be telling the new batch of Garda recruits next month — the first since 2009 — that certain “standards, behaviours and values” would be expected of them.

In light of the trenchant criticisms of probationary gardaí — and their superiors — in the Guerin report, she said she would ensure that training in Templemore College was “adequate and robust enough to foster those values”.

The Guerin report into allegations from whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe highlighted serious problems in how younggardaí investigated crimes and treated victims — and the lack of supervision of them from superior officers.

Ms O’Sullivan said that the results of an anonymous online survey of 1,795 members were what “you would expect” and were the same as the concerns repeatedly raised by representative associations regarding Garda resources and morale.

“I know the perception is that morale is on the ground,” Ms O’Sullivan said. “Certainly people are hurting and people are very concerned at everything that has happened.”

She said the effect of visiting Garda stations around the country had instilled confidence in members to do their jobs.

Ms O’Sullivan is in the running for the top job in the force following the resignation of Martin Callinan last March.

At the forum, Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald said the position of the Garda commissioner would be advertised internationally next month, adding that the “independent appointment” would “take time”.

She said there might be a role in the appointment for the Garda Authority, which she said would be in place by the end of the year. However, she said she was not yet clear how that might happen.

“It may be that members of the new authority will be appointed and it may be a possibility of their involvement to some degree in the appointment in the commissioner,” she said. “That needs to be worked out.”

The forum, also heard addresses from former Northern Ireland ombudsman Nuala O’Loan.