Complaints Board backs independent Garda Ombudsman plan

The Garda Complaints Board has expressed support for the Government's plans to establish an independent Garda Ombudsman.

The proposed body would replace the current controversial system whereby gardaí investigate complaints against themselves.

In its annual report for 2004, the Complaints Board said it would support a move to create a three-member Ombudsman Commission rather than a single-person Ombudsman, a system used in the North.

Justice Minister Michael McDowell has welcomed the board's comments and said he also favoured an independent commission that would include more than one member.

"It's suggested that somehow the Nuala O'Loan model [in the North] is the international norm," he said. "It's not.

"If you look across the world, you'll find multi-member bodies rather than single-member bodies are the norm internationally."