Gardaí 'must be made more accountable'

The Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC) says urgent measures need to be taken to make the Gardai more transparent and accountable.

The Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC) said today that urgent measures need to be taken to make the gardaí more transparent and accountable.

Speaking at a press event today, the commissioned acknowledged that positive initiatives were underway, but said it was concerned about the slow pace of progress in key areas of policing.

The IHRC is making a series of recommendations, including the inclusion of the Garda Síochána within the remit of freedom-of-information legislation.

It also wants key garda powers such as arrest, search and questioning be subject to specific human rights-based codes of practices.

In addition, the commission says it is concerned that women account for just 21% of the force, while their proportion decreases further as rank increases.