Garda probe into 'missing' DNA samples of suspected criminals

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has tasked an assistant commissioner to coordinate investigations into reports that DNA samples of suspected criminals have gone missing.

The Garda chief had last week asked regional assistant commissioner to check with their divisional chief superintendents to examine whether or not there is a problem and the scale of it.

Subsequent to that meeting, Assistant Commissioner John O'Driscoll, head of Special Crime Operations, has been given a formal role in coordinating the examination.

Senior sources said that, while the facts of the matter are not yet clear, any failure to submit DNA samples for forensic testing could have serious implications in aiding investigations and even prosecutions.

“At the moment it's hard to know the scale or extent of this,” one source told the Irish Examiner.

“It could be a problem, it could even be a serious problem, but then again it may not be as big as people might think.”

The issue, reported in the Irish Daily Mail yesterday, claimed that up to 2,000 DNA samples taken from criminals are missing – and not added to the National DNA database, operated by Forensic Science Ireland.

The newspaper reported that the Technical Bureau had identified the issue.

One source told the Irish Examiner that a lot is unclear: “It is not clear if DNA kits were given out to gardaí and the garda failed to utilise them at all or if they were used and samples taken, but the samples were not returned or returned incorrectly.”

Last week, the commissioner directed regional assistant commissioners to request their divisional commanders to examine the issue.

“All the chief superintendents have been told to look into the issue and report back to the ACs who will report back to Garda HQ,” said a source.

Subsequently, the commissioner appointed AC O'Driscoll to lead the overall examination.

The garda boss could be questioned on this issue at the next public meeting with the Policing Authority on April 18.

It is understood that DNA kits are distributed from central Garda stores based on requests from local divisions.

Garda HQ said: "An Assistant Commissioner has been appointed to examine any potential issues. Any issues arising will be brought to the attention of the independent statutory DNA Database System Oversight Committee and the Policing Authority."