Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

In the past six months we have received many complaints from members of the public expressing dissatisfaction at the manner in which the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission responded to their complaints. The general feeling among many people is that the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission actually protects Garda malpractice rather than holding gardaí to account much of the time. As the previous Deputy said, the impartiality element must be raised given that, as I understand, there are serving gardaí in the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission. I notice the Minister shaking his head.

On the previous occasion, I highlighted that some of the serious complaints are being sent back to the Garda for investigation, in some cases the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission supervises the Garda investigation and some cases it does not. I asked the Minister the number of cases that resulted in disciplinary processes against individual members by An Garda Síochána. He told me he did not have the information to hand but would get it to me. That was two months ago.

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