THE NEW criminal justice Bill announced yesterday will be a topic for discussion when Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy and police officers from Luxembourg, Poland, the US and Britain get together in Co Clare this weekend for the annual conference of the Irish branch of the International Police Association.
The association is a non-political, non-sectarian organisation that promotes social, cultural and professional exchanges between its member sections.
The international organisation comprises 361,000 serving and retired policemen from over 60 countries making it the largest police organisation in the world. The Irish section represents over 11,000 serving and retired members of An Garda Síochána.
Retired Garda sergeant and president of the Irish section Billy Saunderson said that the conference, which is being held in Ennistymon, presents members with the opportunity to discuss matters of mutual personal and professional concern.
Mr Saunderson, who served in Ennistymon, said there were many benefits for retired and serving gardaí in joining the association.
Mayor of Clare Cllr Madeleine Taylor Quinn, who launched the conference yesterday, said in her address: “Democracy is based on the strength of the security of our citizens.
“An Garda Síochána and police forces across the world provide a sterling service. Each and every one of us has an obligation to fully support and assist them in the course of their work.”
She continued: “The co-operation of the public relating to crime is essential for crime detection and prevention. We cannot afford to remove ourselves when we have knowledge or sightings of acts or behaviour that could be helpful to police investigations.
“As we celebrate this week the 60th anniversary of the declaration of the Irish Republic by the then taoiseach John A Costello, which was the final step in establishing Irish independence from Great Britain, one cannot but reflect and wonder whether the Republic of 2009 is the one envisaged by our forefathers . . . Until we are free and independent of organised gangland crime and the scourge of drugs across this country we will not be truly free and independent,”, added the mayor.
Speaking about the publication of the new Criminal Justice Surveillance Bill, Cllr Taylor Quinn said it would provide much needed assistance to An Garda Síochána in bringing criminals to justice.
She expressed her hope that the new Bill would quickly become law and be fully implemented.