Madam, – The announcement of Dermot Gallagher as chairperson of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission raises a number of concerns.
As was rightly pointed out by Mark Kelly of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties( The Irish Times, February 5th), the manner of the appointment was disappointingly closed in nature. There should have been an independent process with a call for applicants.
Not only this, but we now have a situation where all three members of the Commission are the children of gardaí. Without bringing into question the capacity of any of the Commissioners, how can the body credibly claim any independence in this situation? This does not present an image of transparent and objective oversight of An Garda Síochána, which Justice Morris warned was necessary to avoid events such as those in Donegal from repeating themselves.
As it stands, over 40 per cent of complaints received by this body continue to be investigated by members of An Garda Síochána. – Yours, etc,