Politics has been bad for policing in Ireland and An Garda Síochána would be a better organisation if steps taken to make it accountable to independent scrutiny had gone further.
But with the continuing oversight rights accorded to the Minister for Justice come responsibilities and the incumbent, Frances Fitzgerald, has a choice. Is she willing to deliver necessary reform or does she simply want the issue to go away?
As the Garda is engulfed in another controversy over its response to whistleblowers, it is worth recalling that Ms Fitzgerald assumed the justice role within the last government after events which saw the resignation of her predecessor, the retirement of a Garda Commissioner, the removal of a Garda confidential recipient and a move sideways for the secretary general at the Department of Justice.
The treatment of whistleblowers was among the issues involved. That it continues to fester undermines confidence in Ms Fitzgerald’s resolve to see cultural change within the force and in the capacity of Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan to bring about that change.
In the report last May of the Commission of Investigation into complaints of Garda malpractice in Cavan-Monaghan, Mr Justice Kevin O’Higgins noted that the notion of loyalty can be “all the more ingrained in organisations, such as An Garda Síochána, with a strong tradition of internal solidarity” and that criticism from within can be regarded as suspect, disloyal, or even treacherous. This was not just a theoretical reflection on organisational behaviour. It has practical relevance to the quality of policing provided by the Garda.
After many critical reports and the establishment of a Garda Inspectorate, an Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc) and a Policing Authority, garda culture continues to trump reform.
Even Mr Justice O’Higgins, when conducting his investigation, encountered delays in getting information from the force. And Gsoc is campaigning for more powers because its work is being thwarted by some within the Garda. The task of reform required of Ms Fitzgerald and Ms O’Sullivan is clear. If they can’t deliver, someone must.