More than 460 gardaí disciplined in relation to failure to prosecute almost 3,500 juvenile offenders

More than 460 gardaí have so far being disciplined in relation to the failure to prosecute almost 3,500 juvenile offenders, it has emerged.

The disciplinary process was set up last year following revelations that almost 8,000 offences carried out by these minors were not properly investigated.

The cases, involving nearly 2,500 individual victims and some 1,000 businesses, were investigated by nearly 3,500 gardaí.

Figures released at the public meeting of Garda Commissioner Drew Harris at the Policing Authority show:

• No disciplinary issues arise in 4,500 of the 8,000 offences;
• 462 gardaí have so far being disciplined;
• 448 were disciplined for minor breaches – resulting in either advice, caution or warning;
• 14 were disciplined for less serious breaches – resulting in either reprimand, warning, caution, advice or fine of one/two weeks' pay;
• No gardaí were disciplined for serious breaches, which can result in measures up to dismissal

Authority chair Josephine Feehily said they could not determine from the information provided by Garda HQ – which she said only arrived late on Wednesday – how many gardaí are involved in the 3,500 offences where disciplinary issues may apply.

Assistant Commissioner Dave Sheehan, Governance and Accountability, said they did not yet have that figure as they were awaiting returns from some divisions.

The meeting heard that there may be up to 3,000 cases awaiting determination.

Authority members commended the thoroughness of an internal garda investigation into the controversy, which had been independently reviewed by external consultants Crowe Howarth.

Authority member Bob Collins said virtually all of the 8,500 cases had been tracked down by gardaí and said that “impressive” efforts were made to contact both victims and offenders.

The cases referred to the period 2010 to 2018 and related to juvenile offenders who had been referred to the Garda Youth Diversion Programme but had been deemed unsuitable.

These cases were then returned to the investigating garda and local district offices for charges or summonses to be brought. But the garda investigation had determined that this had not happened.

The 8,000 offences included 82 cases of assault and 176 robberies of the person. Some 55 cases were deemed serious, including one rape and one sexual offence.

Assistant Commissioner Orla McPartlin, Community Engagement and Public Safety, said 891 letters had been sent out to victims and that 135 had received personal visits.

Commissioner Harris said in many cases the victims said the offence stemmed from years ago and they had “moved on” and that there was relatively few cases where “anguish was shown”.

Mr Collins said the report exposed the extreme vulnerability of the child offenders, with more than 100 dying since, some of them in their teens and others in their 20s.

Commissioner Harris said these child offenders were “very often the victims of pretty serious crimes” themselves and came from a certain social strata and had chaotic lives.

Commissioner Harris

Mr Collins said that in half the cases the garda had only failed in relation to one case. But he said the report did say that “some garda members simply didn't do their job”.

Mr Collins and Ms Feehily expressed concern at an apparent variance in the discipline process and an imbalance between divisions.

On other issues, the commissioner indicated the cost of the visits of President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence were in the region of €15-€18million, which the organisation has been told by the Government must come from its 2019 Budget.

He said it was “not reasonable” to expect him to request a “rainy day” fund of that magnitude in the estimates informing the budget for the year.

But the commissioner said he had imposed controls on overtime and delayed some IT and capital projects to try and come in on budget.

He said €20m of the annual overtime bill automatically goes to the 15-minute briefing time before shifts paid to members, a cost that “grieves some of us in the organisation , it has to be said.”

Policing Authority boss Josephine Feehily commended apologies that have been provided by An Garda Síochána to the Travelling community in relation to an insulting video involving a garda member.

The video, which was circulated widely on social media, shows the garda and a fireman pretending to taunt each other in what appeared to imitate videos shared by some members of the Travelling community when there are bare-knuckle boxing matches.

The member was wearing a garda stab vest over his bare chest, drinking from a can of cider and spoke with a mock Traveller accent.

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris told the authority that he and deputy commissioner John Twomey visited Pavee Point last Monday and apologised for the “obvious hurt and insult” caused.

He said the garda member had also visited Pavee Point and offered an apology. The commissioner said it was “positive” the garda accepted his responsibility. He said disciplinary proceedings were continuing.

In relation to the Armed Support Unit for Cavan, announced this week, the commissioner said this was being made possible by the temporary transfer of staff and that the full time, permanent unit, would be in place in the next few months.