Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Garda Commissioner remains exclusively accountable to the Minister for Justice and Equality rather than to the Policing Authority. The Minister alone still has the power to issue directives to the Garda Commissioner. We cited ten reasons, in 2015 alone, as to why the Policing Authority was not fit for purpose but, sadly, Fine Gael, the Labour Party and Fianna Fáil said otherwise.

The sooner the Government accepts that the current Commissioner is not the person to reform An Garda Síochána, the better. The Commissioner told the Joint Committee on Justice and Equality two weeks ago that she is committed to reform and that there was a demonstrable track record to prove this. However, her actions speak differently. If we look at her engagement with the Garda Inspectorate, it is clear she is not willing to follow through with the reforms that are needed.

Since 2006, the Garda Inspectorate has completed 11 reports, with hundreds of recommendations. Sadly, the weak legislation that established the Garda Inspectorate means it has no statutory responsibility for the monitoring of the implementation of these recommendations. However, since 2008, An Garda Síochána has given status implementation update reports twice a year on the Inspectorate's website. These reports are hugely important, as they give us an indication of whether An Garda Síochána is engaging in the reform recommended by the Inspectorate. For example, under the former Commissioner, Mr. Callinan, there were seven such implementation update reports published. There have been three reports published by the Inspectorate since the present Commissioner, Ms O'Sullivan, took office, but no implementation update reports have been published. This is shocking. We asked the Inspectorate for a comment on it today, and it stated that the last such regular update was published in November 2013 when the process was interrupted due to pressure of work.

It has gone unnoticed in recent times, but the Commissioner has sidelined the role of the Garda Inspectorate completely since she has taken office. Instead of implementing the Inspectorate's recommendations, in June 2016 she introduced her own infamous five-year modernisation and renewal programme 2016 to 2021. This is a complete exercise in spin. Today, we inquired of the Inspectorate how many of its recommendations were contained in this programme. It informed us that it should be noted that the inspectorate has no role in the monitoring of the implementation of the Commissioner's modernisation and renewal programme.

It is farcical. Examination of the report shows that some of it is blatantly misleading. Chapter 6 deals with roads policing. It states: "In 2015, over 70,000 MAT checkpoints were conducted and it is proposed to increase MAT checkpoints by 10% each year over the next five years". However, when this programme of reform was published in June 2016, the Garda Commissioner was fully aware of the problems with mandatory alcohol testing checkpoints and breath testing. She knew about them in November 2015, and perhaps earlier. She knew in 2015 it was an area that needed reform, yet her five year programme for reform does not mention it. Instead, she tells us that the number of mandatory alcohol testing checkpoints will increase by 10% every year. One could not make it up. The Garda Commissioner tells us what she wants.

Another example is the audit of the Garda College which indicated a serious mismanagement of funds. That audit took place in June 2016; there had been issues surrounding it since 2008. However, as with the breath test issue, there is no mention of it in the Garda Commissioner's modernisation and renewal programme. The findings of the audit were leaked to the media in January 2017. Again, would we ever have found out about it otherwise?

An Garda Síochána is talking about bringing in three civilians at assistant commissioner level. Nóirín O'Sullivan will be in charge of them. John Barrett is a civilian at assistant commissioner level and he has been isolated. The reason is that he challenged the Garda Commissioner. He cannot do his job properly because everything he does must go through her. Bringing in civilians is a good idea, but the fact that she will rule the roost over them will not change matters dramatically. We must restructure how things are done and we must examine other matters but, for God's sake, get rid of the Garda Commissioner now. It does not make sense anymore to leave her in place. She is not management material. It is not personal, but she is not fit for the job.

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