'Shifting position' on why 999 calls were cancelled 'perplexing'

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris appeared to cast blame for the cancelling of 999 calls on the force's antiquated computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system. File picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The chair of the Policing Authority has said he is “perplexed in the extreme” at the “apparent shifting position” of An Garda Síochána regarding its inquiry into the cancelled 999 calls scandal.

The latest meeting between the authority and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris heard just 114 out of nearly 6,000 cancelled domestic violence or sexual assault (DVSA) calls had involved a crime, a drop from the figure of at least 400 cited by Mr Harris in July.

Previously, the commissioner had apologised to victims of domestic abuse who had their calls cancelled inappropriately, saying his force “did not provide the standard of service required” after it emerged 2,000 such emergency calls had been cancelled for “invalid” reasons.

At Thursday’s meeting, however, the commissioner appeared to cast blame for the issue on the force's antiquated computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system.

“At a certain point we can only do what is humanly possible with the system that we have,” Mr Harris said.

He described having recently sat with a sergeant in charge of a station’s dispatch system for an hour and observed “the amount of effort required to supervise and manage that system”.

“It isn’t intuitive or logical either, you have to watch it like a hawk,” he said. 

What I saw was a very active participation in the management of the calls. There is supervision, but there is a specific issue about the analytical capabilities of the CAD system.”

In response, authority chair Bob Collins said: “CAD being old is not the issue. If the quality of supervision and monitoring is as you describe this issue would never have arisen.”

Deputy Commissioner Anne McMahon said “no calls were cancelled, every one was answered”.

“We know that everyone who calls gets an answer, the question is what action followed.” Mr Collins responded, adding “I am perplexed in the extreme at this stage at this apparent shifting position”.