Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald is to ask a Government-appointed reviewer of the Garda Síochána to examine if Ireland should have its own MI5-style security intelligence agency.
Under the draft terms of reference for an independent inquiry into the force, the inquiry will investigate if policing and security should be separated – a move that has been opposed in the past by the Garda.
The review will be asked to consider major changes in Garda management and whether more civilians should be appointed to top Garda jobs, but Ms Fitzgerald opposes a root-and-branch commission, it is understood.
The Minister is understood to believe that this may not be the most appropriate form of inquiry, but Fianna Fáil has said a Northern Ireland-style inquiry is necessary.
Ms Fitzgerald will meet Opposition parties before agreeing the scope of the inquiry, which will be brought to Cabinet next week.
However, it is understood she will proceed with reforms proposed by the Garda Inspectorate and the Policing Authority while the review is under way.
The Minister has been under significant pressure to outline her knowledge of the latest Garda revelations.
Falsification of data
Garda Commissioner Nóirín O'Sullivan will appear before the Oireachtas Committee on Justice today to account for recent events.
Ms O’Sullivan will tell members the falsification of data may go beyond the traffic division and apologise “for the grave mistakes and wrongdoing during the last decade”.
In a statement provided to the committee, she says: “Those mistakes and wrongdoings are unacceptable in policing terms, unacceptable in ethical terms, unacceptable in terms of public trust, and, most critically, unacceptable to the advocacy and support groups involved in road safety and to those who were wrongly brought to court.
“They have raised serious issues about how we managed the service, how certain gardaí operated on the ground and their supervision.
“Given the scale of these issues, they can’t simply be blamed on one individual or one area. It is a collective failure. From top down to bottom up.”
The commissioner will stress the need for procedures to be put in place to ensure this does not happen again.
Ms O’Sullivan will confirm a dedicated team will be established to address wrongful convictions.
Anonymous complaint
Letters will be sent to each individual affected and a helpline will be created.
On the issue of the breathalyser tests, Ms O’Sullivan will say an anonymous complaint was made in 2014, claiming this hindered their ability to investigate the matter fully.
She will tell members an instruction to deputy commissioner operations was issued immediately after.
The commissioner will tell the committee all regional assistant commissioners, chief superintendents and superintendents were told to ensure effective mechanisms were in place to monitor checkpoints.
The statement adds: “However, the fact is that we now know some gardaí recorded numbers that were false. At worst, this was deception. At best, this was incompetence. Either way, it was individually and organisationally shameful, and will be seen to be shameful by the public and the thousands of gardaí around the country who operate every day to the highest ethical standards.”
Ms O’Sullivan said the revelations raise serious questions of supervision and management within an Garda Síochána.
The commissioner will say all those involved regardless of hierarchy will be held to account.
