Garda warfare breaks out as civilian staff appear before PAC

John Barrett had worked in six multinationals in the United States for more than three decades before joining An Garda Síochána.

In September 2014, Barrett was appointed head of human resources within the force and “stumbled upon” the issues surrounding financial mismanagement in the Garda’s Templemore training college.

The practices operated in plain view and the show “went on” despite being contrary to everything that was contained in the blue book, Barrett told the Dáil Public Accounts Committee.

“For 30 years working largely in American multinationals, this could never happen. The internal audit organisation would normally be one which would be given absolute co-operation and there would be no suggestion that reports of the order done in 2006, 2008, 2010 would be denied to internal audit,” he said.

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“That could not happen in my experience but it happened here.”

Six civilian members

Barrett was one of six civilian members of the force to give evidence before the committee yesterday.

He was joined by the head of internal audit Niall Kelly, director of finance Michael Culhane, head of legal affairs Ken Ruane, chief administrative officer Joseph Nugent and former internal audit committee chairman Michael Howard.

All are members of the same organisation and supposed to be on the same side. Yet the spend the day publicly contradicting each other and their boss, Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan.

The meeting was hostile at best and open warfare at worst. It is quite extraordinary that members of any public-sector body would appear before a committee without their line manager. It is even more extraordinary that senior members of any organisation would publicly contradict each other in such a fashion.

On entering the meeting, Barrett learned he had been accused of breaching the Official Secrets Act by Culhane in a letter sent to O’Sullivan in October 2015. Barrett had made multiple unsuccessful attempts to secure that correspondence but it was sent to the committee by the gardaí last week.

It was an inversion of trust that appalled Barrett, who said rights of natural justice and constitutional procedures were not made available to him.

Culhane accepted it was not wise to make such a statement. Minutes later he was questioned about another letter he sent to Niall Kelly in February. This accused Kelly of being unprofessional, misleading and mischievous.

Culhane took the opportunity to withdraw the statement but stood by his claim that Kelly had compared the issues at the Garda college to Console, a suicide charity which was wound up over financial issues.

Kelly could not recall making such statements but insisted any such comments would have been taken out of context.

Ruane was also at the source of difference of opinion with Culhane over a meeting in August 2015. Kelly also differed with Nugent about the number of bank accounts being run at Templemore.

Severe dysfunction

The points may be pedantic to some but the committee gave us a fascinating and frightening insight into the severe dysfunction that exists at the most senior ranks of An Garda Síochána.

While most politicians have placed the commissioner in their firing line, the meeting highlighted the root-and-branch problems within the force that will not disappear even if O’Sullivan departs.

As Kelly said, it exposes a culture of not admitting to problems and, when these problems persist, trying to keep them in-house and away from transparent public scrutiny.

The committee hearing poses a series of questions for O’Sullivan and her testimony before the members last month. She said she first became aware of the Templemore issues on July 27th, 2015. Ruane says she knew almost a month earlier. She says heard of the issues over a brief cup of tea. Barrett and Ruane say it was a two-hour meeting.

The commissioner said she acted promptly after becoming aware of the difficulties by establishing a working group. Ruane says the group was established weeks earlier, and not set by the commissioner.

The problems may not all be routed back to her, but they increase the pressure on the commissioner.