The Policing Authority has been scathing in its first public criticism of An Garda Síochána, expressing “serious concern” at its treatment of victims, “dismay at the familiarity of performance failures”, and “deep unease at the organisation and management culture” within the force.
The criticisms were contained in a lengthy statement on Thursday night and suggest the authority plans to take a robust and combative approach with Garda management.
It has insisted the Garda respond as a matter of “urgency” to the findings of the O’Higgins commission.
And before the Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan and her team appear before the authority in public next month, the new agency has given her several tasks to complete, a clear sign it believes the Garda is moving too slowly in key areas.
These include the publication of the Garda’s public attitudes survey which the force had “referenced in many meetings”.
Its “protected disclosure policy” for whistle blowing should also be published “at the earliest possible date”, the authority said.
Commissioner O’Sullivan has been told to engage “an external provider” to audit her modernisation and renewal plan for the force.
The response to the O’Higgins commission report “must then be reflected” in the Garda’s strategy statement 2016-2018 to come before the authority in coming weeks.
The remarks were made after members of the authority met with Commissioner O’Sullivan in Dublin on Thursday to discuss the fall-out from the final report of Mr Justice Kevin O’Higgins.
The meeting, where nine members of the authority quizzed Commissioner O’Sullivan and her team, went on for more than twice the scheduled two hours.
The authority said the failure of Garda management to deal more quickly with unanswered questions in the wake of the O’Higgins report was in danger of setting “to nought” the good work done by gardaí on the ground.
Not alone was it concerned at recent revelations but at the repetition of Garda shortcomings raised by the Morris Tribunal more than a decade ago and in repeated Garda Inspectorate reports more recently.
However, the authority was also concerned about Garda resourcing and would examine the capacity of the Garda to recruit and train more staff.
The lengthy statement issued on Thursday night represents the first indication that the authority has grave concerns with many aspects of the Garda’s work and how the force is being managed.
The criticisms come at a time of growing pressure on top Garda management and on the Government to bring about more radical Garda reform.
Chairperson of the authority Josephine Feehily described as “deeply troubling” the “recurring deficiencies” in the Garda’s performance highlighted by Mr Justice O’Higgins.
“We wish to express our particular concern for the impact on the victims of crime who were entitled to expect a professional and competent service from the Garda Síochána and who didn’t get it,” she said.
While she welcomed Commissioner O’Sullivan’s apology to victims and the acceptance of the O’Higgins commission’s findings and the acknowledgement of lessons learned, it was looking for tangible reforms arising from those words.
“Today was just a first step in this oversight process and there is clearly a lot of work to be done,” Ms Feehily said.
So concerned is the authority at revelations in the O’Higgins report that Commissioner O’Sullivan and her senior team have been summoned to appear before it at two public hearings next month rather than the sole meeting that had been planned.
And the authority said it is now carrying out a review of the practices exposed by the O’Higgins commission in a bid to determine their prevalence within the Garda force across the state, and not just Bailieboro which was examined by Mr Justice O’Higgins.
The authority is the new body set up to oversee the Garda Siochana’s policing functions. The main poins of its statement were the authority expressed:
• Serious concern at the impact on victims and at the systemic performance and management failures
• Dismay at the familiarity of performance failures through various Inquiries and Reports
• Deep unease at the organisation and management culture including the environment for speaking out as evident in the Report
• A need for an urgent response by the Garda Síochána to the findings and recommendations
• Concern that good work being done by gardaí every day can be set to nought while doubts remain about these issues.
