Commissioner stands by garda's four-year disciplinary process for loaning bike to pensioner

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said: 'I understand entirely the public commentary on public concern that's been expressed.' Photo: Neil Michael

The Garda Commissioner has stood over the lengthy disciplinary process endured by a garda who loaned a bicycle to a pensioner during the covid-19 lockdown.

The Justice Minister Helen McEntee has also refused to comment on criticism of the commissioner. Drew Harris had this week said the public did "not know the full story" about the investigation.

The solicitor representing the garda, who was cleared of any wrongdoing, said that Drew Harris needs to explain his comments made to an Oireachtas committee on Thursday.

The garda, who has not been named, was restored to full duties on Thursday after a four-year disciplinary and criminal investigation into the alleged theft of a bike. He was cleared of all wrongdoing.

Just before Friday's attestation of 165 garda at the Garda Training College in Templemore, Drew Harris was asked if he could understand why the average person on the street might have an issue with the disciplinary process.

He was also asked if he could stand by the process the garda was caught up in.

He said: "I stand by that process.

"I understand entirely the public commentary on public concern that's been expressed.

"But when I stand back from that, this incident and itself, I also have responsibility to the property and evidence that comes into possession of gardaí.

That's very important because that's about continuity of evidence, and it's about the maintenance of secure storage of things like firearms, drugs and money together with the personal property of members of society.

"So that is an important principle in itself, when I stand back from the actual incident."

He was also asked if he also stood by the decision to bring in officers from the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

He replied: “Yes, I understand why that decision was made. I see the rationale of it."

Just before Friday's attestation of 165 garda at the Garda Training College in Templemore, Drew Harris was asked if he could understand why the average person on the street might have an issue with the disciplinary process. Photo: Neil Michael

The sergeant in question had loaned a 70-year-old man the bicycle from the Garda Property and Exhibits Management System (Pems) at the beginning of the covid pandemic to help the man exercise in order to alleviate a risk to his health from blood clots.

In doing so, he had failed to file the necessary paperwork, an issue which eventually led to his suspension for three years and his house being searched by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

The Director of Public Prosecutions decided the garda sergeant had no case to answer.

However, he remained on suspension for a further two years while the case worked its way through An Garda Síochána’s internal disciplinary processes.