Tag Archives: Garda Commissioner

A PROBE into the conduct of eight Gardai in the Midwest is “tearing many lives apart”, Clare’s Joint Policing Committee (JPC) was told this week. Deputy Cathal Crowe urged the Garda Commissioner, who attended the meeting on Monday (October 18), to engage more effectively on the issue. Deputy Crowe recently raised, in the Dail, the suspension last November of eight Gardaí, as part of an investigation into alleged corruption in public office in Munster. The investigation by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI) centres on claims that Gardaí did not pursue enquiries into alleged road traffic offences against a number of individuals. At this week’s JPC meeting, the Meelick TD repeated many of his criticisms of the handling of the investigation. In advance of the meeting, he had tabled a question for Commissioner Drew Harris, asking if the principle of discretion is still part of the training at the Garda College in Templemore. After the Commissioner explained that …

AN INCREASE of just six in Garda numbers in Clare, over the past decade, has been described by Deputy Cathal Crowe as “alarming”. As Garda Commissioner Drew Harris addressed the Joint Policing Committee meeting this week, Deputy Crowe appealed to him to get more Gardai back onto the streets. The Fianna Fail member was among those to table formal questions to the Commissioner in advance of his visit to Clare. Both he and JPC chairperson, Councillor John Crowe raised the issue of Garda numbers in the county. The Meelick TD’s comments followed a response from the Commissioner in which he outlined changes to the size of the police force at national and divisional level. “There is a truly unique dynamic in Clare, in terms of policing,” Deputy Crowe said. “We are a rural county wedged between two cities. We have the largest urban centre that is not a city. We have an airport and a number of Direct Provision sites, …

GARDA Commissioner Drew Harris has apologised after confirming that a total of 22 emergency calls in Clare did not receive an appropriate response in the period of 2019-2020. The vast majority of these calls related to domestic disturbances. At the meeting of the Joint Policing Committee (JPC) this week, the Commissioner reiterated an apology he made nationally after the Policing Authority found that 600 emergency calls nationally were cancelled and not correctly dealt with by the force. The JPC heard that a follow-up procedure was put in place to address the matter and that a new call classification system is being developed. However, Deputy Violet Anne Wynne, who raised a question with the commissioner about the matter, was critical of the missed opportunity to respond appropriately to the brave decision made by those experiencing domestic abuse to seek help. In response to a question from the Sinn Fein TD, which was submitted formally before the meeting, Commissioner Harris outlined that …

CLARITY has once again been sought over the use of CCTV to convict those involved in illegal dumping, in light of concerns raised the Data Protection Commissioner about remotely-operated cameras. A question was tabled at the November meeting of the local authority by Councillor Alan O’Callaghan, asking whether or not footage could be used in prosecutions. The Fianna Fáil member noted that the issue had come up at the most recent meeting of the Joint Policing Committee (JPC). He said he had been “taken aback” by the advice given there. “It seems that the Data Protection Commissioner has highlighted issues,” he said, “however, we all watch programs where Gardaí make appeals for dashcam footage. It’s very frustrating. We are trying to battle dumping and littering issues across Clare.” Councillor O’Callaghan noted that his party colleague Councillor Cillian Murphy had drawn his attention to an article reporting that 64 littering fines were issued in Tipperary thanks to the use of CCTV …

Fine Gael spokesman on Justice in Seanad Éireann, Senator Martin Conway, has said the new Garda Commissioner should be appointed from outside the ranks of An Garda Síochána. Senator Conway said, “Following the retirement of former Commissioner Noirin O’Sullivan, I believe that it is in the best interest of An Garda Síochána that the Policing Authority begin a process of headhunting an individual with a proven track record of implementing radical reform. “This process can run in tandem with an open competition- the clear objective being to find the right candidate to drive radical reform and restore public confidence in the senior management of the force. “It is not uncommon in private industry that a headhunting process is used to find the right person for a senior position such as this as there are many who may not express an interest through an open competition. “This has been a particularly difficult time for the ordinary men and women of An …

THE appointment of the new Garda Commissioner Noirín O’Sullivan has been greeted warmly by her relations in Clare and by the local chief superintendent who said she will “drive change” in the force. Garda Commissioner O’Sullivan’s late mother, Betty (nee Coote), was a native of the New Road area of Ennis. Among her many relatives is former mayor of Ennis Mary Coote Ryan, a first cousin of Noirín’s late mother. Commissioner O’Sullivan’s grandfather, Johnny ‘Joker’ Coote was a well-known hurler and was a member of the Clare junior team that won the All-Ireland Hurling Championship final in 1914. Speaking about the commissioner’s appointment, Mrs Coote Ryan said, “My deceased brother, Paddy, would have been very friendly with her and would have been at her wedding and spent a lot of time going up and down visiting her and I know he thought the world of her. All the family are very proud of her and she deserves it. She worked …