It is time for the ordinary people of Ireland to insist on proper, democratic principles being respected, especially by those charged with enforcing law and order. Whatever coy remarks may be made by those with vested interests in maintaining the current unconstitutional status quo - the plain fact remains that scores of ordinary citizens are NOT being listened to, and are NOT receiving the services and fair treatment due to them.
Some of the comments made on this page run contrary to our documented experiences in trying to get senior Gardai, Ministers and other authority figures to deal with clear and provable criminality within their own ranks. If we are to call ourselves 'true' citizens, we each have a responsibility NOT to stand by whilst brazen abuses of the law and the constitution are visited upon fellow citizens. The Garda Siochana in particular requires urgent and sweeping reform - as does the Garda Ombudsman - if Ireland is to carry any real legitimacy, when compared to other modern democracies.
The Minister should stop making excuses - and seize this opportunity to simply do the right thing. Anything less in these very troubling circumstances should be unacceptable to any decent citizen - let alone our Minister for Justice.
Stephen Manning
Posted on 7 Nov 2013 12:42 am
It is time for the ordinary people of Ireland to insist on proper, democratic principles being respected, especially by those charged with enforcing law and order. Whatever coy remarks may be made by those with vested interests in maintaining the current unconstitutional status quo - the plain fact remains that scores of ordinary citizens are NOT being listened to, and are NOT receiving the services and fair treatment due to them.
Some of the comments made on this page run contrary to our documented experiences in trying to get senior Gardai, Ministers and other authority figures to deal with clear and provable criminality within their own ranks. If we are to call ourselves 'true' citizens, we each have a responsibility NOT to stand by whilst brazen abuses of the law and the constitution are visited upon fellow citizens. The Garda Siochana in particular requires urgent and sweeping reform - as does the Garda Ombudsman - if Ireland is to carry any real legitimacy, when compared to other modern democracies.
The Minister should stop making excuses - and seize this opportunity to simply do the right thing. Anything less in these very troubling circumstances should be unacceptable to any decent citizen - let alone our Minister for Justice.