,
Policing Authority chairwoman Josephine Feehily plans to ask Garda Commissioner Nóirín O'Sullivan on Monday about further concerns raised within the force about the veracity of Garda crime statistics.
The commissioner faces further pressure over the controversy around the accuracy of Garda statistics after the head of the Garda analysis service, Dr Gurchand Singh, wrote to Ms O'Sullivan to say he was not provided with an advance copy of a report on homicide figures before it was given to the authority.
"I have noted the reports and I will follow it up with the Garda Commissioner," Ms Feehily told The Irish Times.
Dr Singh wrote to Ms O’Sullivan last week to complain about a suggestion made in public testimony before the Policing Authority last month that he and his team of civilian analysts had signed off on a report of 41 homicide cases between 2013 and 2015.
The review was carried out in the aftermath of the scandal around the false breath tests and followed previous concerns raised by Dr Singh about the veracity of data concerning domestic homicides.
The Garda press office did not answer a series of questions about Dr Singh’s letters and the concerns he expressed. Dr Singh could not be reached for comment.
Assistant Commissioner Eugene Corcoran had told the authority during last month’s public session that there had been a “united and joint” review carried out by gardaí and civilian analysts on the figures.
When Dr Singh, who was also in attendance, told the meeting that he had not seen the case files on the disputed homicides, Ms O’Sullivan intervened and asked the assistant commissioner to explain how the review was carried out.
This led Ms Feehily to express concern at the contradictions, though she later declared herself satisfied if there was a “joined-up” approach between senior garda and the civilian analysts.
The Policing Authority chair is expected to seek a copy of the letter sent by Dr Singh in which he disputed Mr Corcoran’s assertion because he had not seen the final report presented to the authority.
Details of Dr Singh's letter were reported by the Sunday Times and the Sunday Independent.
Financial irregularities
He is the second civilian within the Garda to raise questions for Ms O’Sullivan.
Last week John Barrett, the Garda's director of human resources, and the commissioner offered two different accounts of a meeting to discuss financial irregularities at the Garda training college in Templemore, Co Tipperary. Mr Barrett told the Dáil Public Accounts Committee that they had a two-hour meeting in July 2015; Ms O'Sullivan said it was a "brief" exchange over a cup of tea.
In response to the latest controversy surrounding Garda statistics and the commissioner, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin again called on Ms O'Sullivan to consider her position.
"It's in the interests of An Garda Síochána into the future that the Garda Commissioner should consider her position. We do not have confidence in her position given all that has happened," he said.
Mr Martin, however, told presenter Ivan Yates on Newstalk radio that a Dáil motion calling for Ms O'Sullivan's removal would be "a bridge too far". He said such a move could create an "appalling precedent" and that it was not the function of the Dáil to remove public servants from their positions.
‘Untenable’ position
Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar, a leadership contender to replace Taoiseach Enda Kenny, reiterated the Government's position that it had confidence in Ms O'Sullivan.
“We think she is doing a good job in very difficult circumstances,” he said.
Minister for Housing Simon Coveney, another Fine Gael leadership challenger, said Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald would brief Cabinet on the "fundamental root and branch reform" of the Garda.
Sinn Féin justice spokesman Jonathan O’Brien called on Government to “remove” Ms O’Sullivan if she refused to resign.
“This latest revelation should act as the straw that broke the camel’s back and the commissioner should resign before she is sacked,” he said.
Describing Ms O’Sullivan’s position as “untenable”, Mr O’Brien said An Garda Síochána was “staggering from one debacle to another” under her leadership.
