Ian Bailey calls on Taoiseach to intervene over delays in Gsoc report

Journalist Ian Bailey has called on An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar and Minister for Justice, Charlie Flanagan to intervene over the delay by the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission in publishing a report into a complaint which he made against gardaí.

Mr Bailey (61) lodged the complaint with Gsoc in January 2012 into his treatment by gardaí investigating the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier in West Cork in December 1996 but he is still awaiting publication of the report into his complaint.

"I wrote to both the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan earlier this week to highlight the fact that I believe that Gsoc are failing in their statutory obligation to report back on their investigation into my complaint against An Garda Síochána, " he said.

Mr Bailey said that he had earlier written to Gsoc Chairperson Judge Mary Ellen Ring on June 6th to register his frustration at the fact that he was told that the report would be published by the end of May but that date passed and he is no wiser as to when the report will be published.

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“Judge Mary Ellen Ring wrote to me on April 3rd to say the commission would bring finality to this case no later than the end of May but that has not happened - in fact, I was told in May 2017 that the case was being reviewed but 13 months on and there’s still no sign of the report.

“As far as I am concerned, any further delay is simply not acceptable and that was the point I was making when I wrote to both the Taoiseach and Minister Flanagan - this is going on over six years now and the delay is placing a huge burden on my partner Jules (Thomas) and myself,” he said.

Contacted by The Irish Times about Mr Bailey's criticisms, a spokeswoman for Gsoc said given that "the matter was still open", the Commission would not be in a position to comment on the issues raised by Mr Bailey in his letters to Gsoc and the Taoiseach and Minister for Justice.

Mr Bailey was twice arrested by gardaí for questioning about the 1996 murder of Ms Toscan du Plantier but was released without charge on each occasion and has denied that he had anything to do with the killing or that he ever made any admissions in relation to the killing.