Garda Ombudsman struggling to cope with workload

The Garda Ombudsman Commission is reportedly struggling to cope with the huge number of complaints it has received since being set up just 10 months ago.

Reports this morning say the commission has asked the Government to allow it opt out of fully investigating some complaints.

Instead, it wants to refer some of the complaints to the Garda Commissioner or wind them down after a brief preliminary inquiry.

The commission has reportedly received 2,500 complaints since last May, compared to around 1,400 received annually by its predecessor, the Garda Complaints Board.

The workload is so big that the ombudsman's office hasn't been able to begin processing 890 cases.