A MAJORITY OF complaints against gardaí who policed the Whitegate fuel blockade in east Cork have been rejected by the garda watchdog. 

Fiosrú, the garda ombudsman, said that there were 101 complaints made nationally against gardaí during the recent fuel protests. 

Thirty of those related to gardaí who were working on the operation to clear Whitegate of protestors. 

Fiosrú said that an examination of the 30 complaints found that 22 were inadmissible, five have been determined to be admissible and a further three are still being assessed. 

“As is the practice, each complaint is examined individually and assessed by our casework team. Anyone can make a complaint to Fiosrú about gardaí. A complainant, by definition in the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act, 2024, must be directly affected by or witnessed the act or omission that is the subject of the complaint.

“Fiosrú does not share information relating to complaints made by or against individuals.

“This is to protect the investigative process, and the rights both of complainants, and those complained against. Fiosrú is not in a position to comment further,” the body said in a statement this evening. 

The country’s only refinery is at Whitegate in Cork Harbour. It is located  some 14 kilometres from the town of Midleton and around 40 kilometres from Cork city.

The facility, owned by a Canadian company Irving Oil. It holds a large amount of fuel used for home heating and fuel – said to be in the region of 25%. 

It was subject to a four day blockade by fuel protesters which was broken when Public Order Unit gardaí were deployed to the area.