Garda calls for reform - Changes to rebuild credibility

REFORM is very rarely successful or enduring if it is imposed from on high, but if it comes as a consequence of a grassroots groundswell then it can be profound and successful.

In that light, the challenge from the Garda Representative Association to the force’s high-ranking officers to communicate better with the public so it can be seen that the force is “not a secretive or suppressive organisation” is very welcome.

The GRA has also suggested that garda officers change the culture that precludes them from speaking on a range of issues without political sanction — including defending its members when they are wrongly accused of misbehaviour.