Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 8 May 2019
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality
Garda Oversight and Accountability: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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GSOC is responsible for holding the Garda to account and investigating complaints made against gardaí. One of the concerns the family had about the report was that the assertions of gardaí had been accepted rather than tested or probed. One example is that the Garda asserted to GSOC that it was unaware of events related to the case that had occurred outside the jurisdiction. The family have documentary evidence that the PSNI had, in fact, informed An Garda Síochána of these events. The report took six years to complete and much time went into completing it. Was it beyond the scope of GSOC or its resources to ask the Garda whether it was certain about its assertions and to seek further documentary evidence and contact the PSNI? Why did that not happen? Was it not possible with the resources available to GSOC at the time?