Government to consult Opposition on ‘external’ Garda inquiry

The Government is to consult the Opposition on setting up an “external investigation” into the latest Garda scandals, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said.

Mr Kenny, speaking in the Dáil on Tuesday after the Cabinet considered the matter, said the Government continued to have confidence in Garda Commissioner Nóirín O'Sullivan.

He said the Government believed the level of public concern over what was happening was so profound it was time to conduct “a thorough, comprehensive and independent root-and-branch review” of the force.

He said such a proposal should have the support of the Oireachtas, and proposed to consult the Opposition parties and have it ultimately approved by the Oireachtas.

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‘Unacceptable revelations’

Mr Kenny said there had been “a list of unacceptable revelations about the operations of An Garda Síochána”.

Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald accused the Taoiseach of a “dereliction” in his duty in not removing the Garda Commissioner from her position.

Ms McDonald told Mr Kenny: “You know that the Commissioner has to go. You know that the fish rots from the head down.”

She said the top management of An Garda Síochána was "rotten with arrogance", and the Garda Commissioner was determined to "brazen it out".

The Dublin Central TD said the biggest mistake Mr Kenny and Ms Fitzgerald could make was to leave Ms O'Sullivan in her job.

“This is not about Nóirín O’Sullivan as the woman. This is about Nóirín O’Sullivan as the Commissioner - the woman in charge.

“You need to show real leadership,” she continued. “You need to do your job and remove the Commissioner from her job.”

Mr Kenny said Ms O’Sullivan had done an “outstanding series of interviews” with an international interview panel for the job of Commissioner.

‘Narrowly political’

He accused the Sinn Féin deputy leader of being “narrowly political” and said the issue was not about an individual person but about the structure and the men and women who serve the State.

He said there was a process of “surgery” in reforming the structure and management of the Garda.

Labour leader Brendan Howlin said Mr Kenny's answers on the matter were entirely inadequate.

Someone has to be accountable for this now

He said that between 2006 and 2016, 146,865 summonses had been issued in error and 14,700 convictions incurred. People had been told they were telling lies.

They did not need telling that these were facts.

“Someone has to be accountable for this now,” he said. They should not be sending another body to do another series of reviews.

He said the Taoiseach and Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald should introduce legislation to empower the Garda Authority to implement reforms.

The Taoiseach responded that while the issues of wrongful convictions and breath tests were facts, “we do need to find out how those facts were accumulated”.