Government urged to 'look into' Gsoc as garda faces charges over car chase

“What are we saying to the criminals of Ireland that gardaí are not going to go after you if you go down the wrong way on a road?" Labour TD Alan Kelly asked the Dáil.

Labour TD Alan Kelly has urged the Government to “look into” the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc), labelling plans to prosecute a member for doing “his duty” as “outrageous”.

Mr Kelly said the public is “outraged” at the decision to charge the guard and called for a debate on Gsoc, which he said is “desperately needed”.

Last week, an inquest at Dublin Coroner's Court heard that a garda involved in the pursuit of three men who died on July 7, 2021, was to be charged by the DPP.

Mr Kelly said the guard still does not know what charges are being brought against him, however, he noted that the serving member pursued three members of a “well-known criminal gang with over 200 convictions”.

“We need, as a legislator, to look at Gsoc and we also need to ask ourselves in this chamber, who in the name of God, and I represent Templemore, would join An Garda Siochána when a garda is going to be treated like this?

He asked the Dáil:

What are we saying to the criminals of Ireland that gardaí are not going to go after you if you go down the wrong way on a road?

He said the guard is being prosecuted “because he did his duty” and followed the men when they drove the wrong way on the M7 between Citywest and Baldonnel.

Mr Kelly said over the last number of days, €32,000 has been raised on a GoFundMe page, mostly by his colleagues.

“I know this garda to be a diligent worker and as diligent as they come,” he said.

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) previously described how the garda found out that he would have charges brought against him in a public forum as “scandalous”.

General Secretary of AGSI, Antoinette Cunningham, said the personal impact is grave, and the professional impact damaging. “AGSI is once again calling for a complete overhaul of GSOC and how it operates,” she said.