Garda report - Good to see important issues raised

In an organisation whose members daily operate at the coalface of criminality, often risking their own lives to maintain public order, complaints against gardaí are as inevitable as the incessant rainfall of a country that has seen more than its share of violence and illegal activities in recent years.

From that perspective, the job of a garda can sometimes be a thankless one.

Many people will be alarmed by today’s report of the Garda Ombudsman Commission showing that a growing number of gardaí were themselves disciplined and charged with criminal offences. No matter how marginal the increase, this is a worrying trend.