Alan Shatter: Serious faults in gardaí

There are “substantial” managerial and cultural problems in the Garda Síochána — but efforts to address them should not “completely undermine” the capability of the organisation to fulfil its function, former justice minister Alan Shatter has said.

Mr Shatter, who has also served as defence minister, said that during his tenure there was “far greater competence” at senior ranks of the Defence Forces than in the gardaí — which he said was partially a training and education issue.

The former Fine Gael minister rejected claims from former attorney general, Michael McDowell, that he was bitterly opposed to setting up the Policing Authority, but had been overruled by the Cabinet shortly before he resigned in May 2014 over a separate Garda crisis.