GSOC yet to hear back on resources for penalty points probe

The Garda ombudsman is still awaiting word from the Government five months after it requested extra resources to conduct the first penalty points investigation.

The watchdog has since been asked to investigate the second tranche of penalty point claims — also made by whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe.

The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) wrote to the Department of Justice on May 1 saying it could not investigate the first set of claims without an additional €1m in funding.

It said the money was needed to hire extra staff on contract to assist in what would be an “extensive investigation”.

GSOC said there had been no development in relation to its request. It is still under consideration by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and Department of Justice the funding.

According to a Department of Justice note, GSOC made clear in its letter that they “could not handle such an extensive investigation without additional resources”.

The note pointed out that the ombudsman was also “likely” to receive more cases generally, which would have resource implications.

This week, the watchdog received a request from Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald to examine the second set of penalty point allegations.

“The decision that will have to be discussed and made now is whether the scope of the investigation which the previous minister asked us to initiate and which has already commenced should be widened to include that new time period, or whether a new investigation should be initiated,” a GSOC spokeswoman said.

She said an “initial phase” of the first investigation had commenced. She said this covered issues which could be done “before the more resource-heavy phase”.

The Irish Examiner reported last month that Sgt McCabe had met GSOC officers and handed over documentation in relation to up to 3,000 penalty points cases.

GSOC currently has just under 80 staff, compared to its allocated entitlement of 87 — it had 98 in 2007.

Resource pressures will mount as a result of proposed new powers, including carrying out investigations into practices and procedures of the force and conducting surveillance on officers.

Sinn Féin justice spokesman Padraig MacLochlainn said the staffing levels at GSOC were “very worrying” and urged the Government to address the matter.

“One of the biggest criticisms of GSOC has been the length some of its investigations take,” he said. “It undermines public confidence and is unfair to the gardaí under investigation.”

He said the investigation would be “very challenging” and the watchdog had a “volume of work to do”.

Mr MacLochlainn added: “This flies in the face of what the Government and the minister has been telling us about having an effective and efficient Garda ombudsman. I have welcomed a lot of what Frances Fitzgerald has done, but this is something that needs to be dealt with.”