Almost 1,000 bench warrants outstanding in Limerick

Justice Minister Helen McEntee revealed there were 922 bench warrants outstanding in Limerick as of December 31 last

Justice Minister Helen McEntee said she had no role in the execution of bench warrants. Picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

There are nearly 1,000 bench warrants outstanding in Limerick, according to the Minister for Justice.

Helen McEntee revealed the figures, which showed there were 992 bench warrants outstanding in Limerick Division as of December 31, 2020, after Limerick Independent TD Richard O’Donoghue questioned the Minister in the Dáil.

Ms McEntee said the Garda Commissioner is, by law, responsible for the administration and business of An Garda Síochána, including the allocation of Garda resources, in light of identified operational demands.

“As minister, I have no role in these matters,” she added.

“As the deputy will appreciate, difficulties in relation to the execution of warrants, including bench warrants, are a long-standing issue for many police services around the world, notably relating to persons actively seeking to evade detection and where limited identification information might be available to support enforcement,” Ms McEntee said.

“I am assured however that An Garda Síochána execute warrants as expeditiously as possible, giving priority to the execution of warrants relating to serious crimes,” she added.

Mr O’Donoghue described the figure as “frightening.” 

"It’s a frightening number of people wanted by the gardaí in Limerick, and I would urge the minister to prioritise the arrest of these individuals.” 

The Independent TD said he was left "dumbfounded" by the revelation regarding the figures in Limerick.

Bench warrants are issued by a judge, and give gardaí the power to arrest an individual and bring them before the courts.

They are often issued after an individual fails to appear in court when accused of a crime.

Last summer, the Irish Examiner reported that one bench warrant in Dublin had been outstanding for 52 years, while another in Clare has been outstanding for 29 years.

It is not currently known whether either of these individuals have been apprehended.