Irish Examiner view: What exactly has the Garda vote achieved?

Garda Representative Association vote of no confidence in Garda Commissioner Drew Harris

A total of 9,013 gardaí voted no confidence in Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and only 116 supported him. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

The Garda Representative Association (GRA) vote of no confidence in Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has been described as extraordinary by the commissioner himself — an understatement, if anything.

The results of the vote were emphatic — 9,013 gardaí voted no confidence in Mr Harris, and only 116 supported him — an unprecedented rupture in trust between the commissioner and the rank and file.

Mr Harris said he does not plan to resign, and he has been backed publicly by the Policing Authority.

While such an overwhelming vote against him by his own staff cannot be dismissed, the Government will also have to support Mr Harris for obvious reasons. If he was replaced and the new commissioner then faced a similar vote from the rank and file, would they have to be replaced in turn?

Rank-and-file gardaí are entitled to express their opinion, and to state their dissatisfaction with working conditions.

Nobody doubts there are serious challenges facing An Garda Síochána when it comes to morale, staffing, and recruitment, while new rostering arrangements were described by the GRA as “the last straw”.

However, other episodes have shown the force as a whole in a poor light. Last month saw a widely publicised episode of trainee gardaí being sent home from the Garda training college in Templemore because they had tattoos, and the college is itself at the centre of a criminal investigation into financial irregularities in its operations.

For the public at large, there are other considerations.

A recent spate of assaults on tourists in Dublin city centre led to concerns about the safety of the capital, and last week violent incidents in Galway City were captured on video and circulated widely on social media.

For most people, these issues are far more pressing than the GRA’s dispute with Mr Harris. 

As for the force’s internal challenges, it is difficult to see how Wednesday’s events will help to resolve problems with rostering. In that sense, what exactly has the vote of no confidence achieved?

Cork and climate change

A new report suggests that flooding is only one of the challenges Cork City will face in the coming decades. Picture: Larry Cummins

It is reasonable to point out that climate change will bring specific challenges for low-lying, coastal cities.

Those are in the frontline when it comes to one of the most pressing problems in this regard: The rising sea levels which threaten to inundate coastal areas.

In Ireland, Cork is both low-lying and coastal, and its central island was prone to flooding decades before climate change was even identified. However, a new report from KPMG Future Analytics suggests that flooding is only one of the challenges the city will face in the coming decades.

Droughts in summer and flooding in winter have been predicted for Cork, with a resulting adverse impact on the city’s infrastructure. Roads will be damaged by those droughts and floods, while the extremes in temperature which are expected will also have a significant health impact on an ageing population.

While this is a disheartening prediction, is there a chink of light in other findings which emerged this week? A University College Cork (UCC) report released this week told us that Cork City is releasing nearly 1m tonnes of greenhouse gases every year — but that the 78,856 homes in the city contribute 34% of total emissions, while road transport, and cars in particular, account for another 29%.

The glass-half-full view of the UCC report would be that homes and cars are largely the preserve of individual citizens, and that there is an element of individual control available here.

If citizens choose more efficient heating and transport options, they can make a material difference: that sense of personal empowerment can be rare in the face of what sometimes appears to be an overwhelming global problem.

Those reports still make sobering reading, particularly in light of the recent plans announced to build thousands of homes right next to the River Lee in the docklands area.

As for the willingness to take personal responsibility, in the print edition of the Irish Examiner which reported this story, the next headline on the page was ‘New air routes out of Cork to meet pent-up demand’. Given what we know about airplane emissions, it’s a gloomy commentary on people’s willingness to change their behaviour to fight climate change.

Road safety appeal

André Ladeiro's father César made an emotional plea this week, on social media, urging motorists to be careful. Picture: Dan Linehan

It is now one month since the Ladeiro family in Carrigaline, Co Cork, suffered the heartbreaking death of their son André. The eight-year-old was out cycling when he was struck by a car at a roundabout in the town.

His father César made an emotional plea this week, on social media, urging motorists to be careful when driving in the area.

Referring to the stretch of road where his son was struck, Mr Ladeiro said: “In the same spot, where I go from time to time, I have seen more than three cars in different occasions crossing the red light... Carrigaline is known by its traffic, and I do guarantee you that crossing Carrigaline at lower speed will get you through/in/out in the same time.”

Mr Ladeiro deserves our thanks for finding the strength to make this appeal. 

Dozens of people have been killed on our roads this year, and every single statistic hides a family who is left grief-stricken.

By pointing out a specific problem and making a constructive suggestion, Mr Ladeiro has done his best to ensure another family does not have to face the nightmare he and his relatives continue to endure.