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ONE OF THE key figures in the Morris Tribunal, which addressed Garda malpractice in the 90s and 2000s has said the current controversy in the force comes from not implementing sweeping reforms of the force.
Frank McBrearty Jnr, who is an independent councillor on Donegal County Council, told TheJournal.ie that there has been “no change” to Garda culture since the Morris Report was published in 2008.
There has been no change since the Morris Tribunal. We haven’t got the change we were promised.
“It is senior garda management that are not accountable and are causing the problems, because [the controversy] is tarring all guards with the same brush. 90 per cent of gardaí are doing a good job.”
He said that it was imperative that gardaí who witnessed malpractice in the force could feel comfortable coming forward.
“Whistleblowers must have the courage to speak up and I hope there are other gardaí who come forward.
“But those whistleblowers must be protected.”
McBrearty yesterday proposed, and saw passed, a motion that led Donegal County Council to call for a full judicial inquiry into the bugging of GSOC and the allegations by Garda whistleblowers.
The motion was unanimously supported and McBrearty says that comes as no surprise, given the lack of trust in the force.
“The problem is that people don’t trust the guards. The only way to get them to do that is to introduce the Morris reforms.
“This road opened in Donegal, and now we’re at the end of the road.”
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The guards need to be broken up into smaller forces like they have in the UK. The organisation is too big. With a poisonous culture like what exists it’s best to break the bullies up. Imagine what it is like for some of the lower ranking guards knowing and seeing abuses and not been able to do anything about it.
The country is too small for he Gardai to be broken up. Sure the metropolitan police force in London police a population of some 12 million. The reason the police in the UK have multiple police forces is due to both the geographic size of the UK and that police duties were generated from local county councils until Peel formulated the modern police.
I’d also hate to see a ‘commissioner’ for each are in Ireland. And looking at the health service, the fire service and county council managers; you’d be guaranteed they’d get a ‘commissioner’ for each area.
The problem I would imagine is with management not the ordinary guard on the street. The problem is from Superintendent up, they are all political appointments. There in is the problem. It should be completely independent.
@Cutsie… I agree with you.
The Garda should broken up into different groups such as:
- The basic patrol officer
- Narcotics Officer
- Traffic & Road Officers
- Detectives
- Health & Safety Officers
- SWAT
In some cases, the officers would have over-lapping capabilities…. However, their primary per view would permit them to focus their attentions on a smaller piece of the pie. The size of country has nothing to do with dividing responsibilities.
But was does have a strong baring…. Is the way the force is managed. Furthermore, there is a major shortage of individuals of the authority who are role models. In Ireland, it appears that sport figures and pop culture personalities that are held with regard and used as role models. Why is this?
We should have Ministers, Judges, CEOs… People who’ve pulled themselves up, worked hard and leads by example as role models.
All we need is transparency in the force, like all other European forces.
We need a culture of respect for the public and the law to be introduced.
We need Guards, at any level that are corrupt to know that they will not enjoy their colleagues turning a blind eye or being too frightened to report it
There is a stink of the force at the moment that is very worrying, more than just a few bad eggs. This is institutionally bent.
The word corruption has been thrown about too much in relation to these issues, and inappropriately in my opinion. Is it corrupt to cancel penalty points without good cause? Arguably it is in certain circumstances, and if so, perhaps corruption in its mildest sense. Is it corrupt that some crimes may have been handled better differently as alleged by McCabe? No. We’re making our police force out to sound like something from a dodgy part of Russia which is completely ridiculous.
Marlon, the Gardai are broken up into those different parts. Look up the website and you’ll see there is the bureau of fraud, NBCI, drugs etc.
Alan.
These stories tie in with a lot of people’s personal experience.
Pretending that the force does not have very serious problems is not going to wash when so many of us have seen it at first hand.
I’m talking about things that would mean dismissal and charges in most countries in Europe but are considered normal here.
Seanie,
Please enlighten us as to these stories which tie in with people’s own experiences. I genuinely would like to know. We only know McCabe is blowing the whistle about alleged mishandling of some criminal cases… Beyond that, not much else.
Something has to happen but under the current minister and government I don’t expect any changes…
There are really good gardai with a sharing and caring attude i know that so well but the wrong ones poison the entire force reducing the good gardai to a state of apathy and an out of body of see nothing do nothing know nothing, what a way to treat the good gardai in the force ,.Coerc
ion by dictate is out
Moderation from Harry!! Just when you think you have seen/heard it all.
Alan Shatter couldn’t organise a piss up in the Dail Bar…
Im convinced God doesn’t think he is Alan Shatter….
Alan Shatter could organize a piss up in the centre of Mecca.
He is very capable and able.
Pity that he did not focus on law reform instead of protecting his close friends in the force who messed up.
If he had not tolerated this and cleaned up the Garda force then he would be one of the most popular Minister’s for Justice in a long time.
Nice earner for the lads, call an inquiry a bit of early retirement, serious faces at press conference, present the illusion of change….pensions and bonuses still in tact nothing changed because nobody will be made responsible.
Decent honest guards who wish to reveal internal misconduct must be protected by the Government.
Enda time to act!
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