Irish Examiner view: Questions remain over Garda investigation and trial
Five gardaí had court cases hanging over their heads for five years — cases involving the serious charge of perverting the court of justice. File picture
A particularly lengthy saga came to an end earlier this week in Limerick when four serving gardaí and a retired superintendent were found not guilty of charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice.
As reported here by Mick Clifford, there were emotional scenes in the courtroom as this case concluded, and little wonder.
It is five years since those officers were first suspended from duty and this story began.
These gardaí had court cases hanging over their heads for five years — cases involving the serious charge of perverting the court of justice.
The emotional toll taken over those five years has a parallel of sorts in the various costs to the State, from financial outlay to the commitment of personnel, which this lengthy investigation necessitated.
And for what? Labour TD Alan Kelly’s call for an inquiry into the prosecution of the five will be echoed by many, as will his observation that the case raises serious questions about the leadership of An Garda Síochána, the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, which ran the investigation, and the DPP.
As Clifford pointed out, anomalies in this investigation abound. No other high-ranking gardaí in the division, or anywhere else, were investigated for a practice which, by definition, has to go through such officers.
A nationwide audit was not conducted to check whether what happened in Limerick was happening elsewhere in the country.
It also emerged that, between 2019 and 2024, detections of speeding vehicles in the Limerick division fell by 30% at a time when detections at a national level remained constant.
The stress endured by these members of An Garda Síochána can only be imagined, and it is hardly surprising that some were in tears when the verdicts of not guilty were read out in court.
The old adage about justice delayed being justice denied was never truer.
Last Sunday afternoon Grace Lynch, aged 16, was killed while out for a walk near her home in Finglas in Dublin. She was struck by a scrambler bike.
There has been an outpouring of grief in the area, with a crowd of approximately 1,000 people joining her distraught family in solidarity on a march and vigil on Monday evening.
Grace’s mother Siobhán Gifford Lynch thanked those in attendance and said: “I will fight and I will fight to get these scramblers and scooters off these streets.”
While her instincts are admirable, an obvious question should be asked here. Why should a grieving mother have to do the work the State itself should be doing in this situation?
What is particularly galling here is that legislation governing the use of scrambler bikes in certain areas was passed almost three years ago but has not been implemented through regulation.
The minister of State with responsibility for roads, Seán Canney, spoke in recent days about the need for that regulation to be introduced, but it hardly inspires confidence that that has not happened already.
There have been ongoing issues with scramblers and e-scooters all over the country in recent months.
Last weekend, a youth was hospitalised after an e-scooter crash in Cork City, while the previous week a woman and girl were injured in Fermoy by an e-scooter.
The list of such incidents goes on, and now we have had a fatality with a scrambler bike.
There is a further complication even if the necessary regulation is finally introduced: It is useless if not properly enforced. There may be a grim irony in that the minutiae of garda traffic enforcement are in the news for very different reasons at present, as evidenced on this very page.
However, the argument could be made that the case mentioned above only strengthens the case for the introduction of a properly staffed and resourced traffic corps to improve safety on our roads.
Every effort should be made to ensure another family does not suffer the loss of a loved one, as happened in Finglas last Sunday.
The apparent decline of linear television continues, its appeal eroded by short-form video shared on social media on one hand, and large-scale streaming services on the other.
However, there seems to be one particular genre of television programme which goes on and on, unperturbed by trends and fashion.
The robustness of reality TV seems strong enough to repel all boarders, and a couple of news items this week underlines its strength.
, a perennially popular series showcasing baked goods, has already survived a switch of channels and the departure of various hosts.
The retirement of Prue Leith might have been seen as a particular blow but she has been replaced by another high-profile face, cookery writer and presenter Nigella Lawson, who may keep alive for another few seasons.
Another hardy annual in the reality TV stakes is , often a vehicle for fading stars to revive their careers.
We learned this week that Roy Keane has been approached by the show’s makers with a view to including him among contestants facing various trials in the Australian bush.
However, the former Manchester United and Republic of Ireland star said this week he had told the show to “dream on”.
Perhaps next year.
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