LAST UPDATE | 15 Apr

Niall O'Connor Reporting from AGSI conference.

THE MINISTER FOR Justice has said that allegations made by TDs on the Dáil record that gardaí strip searched protestors were false and the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris is to write a letter of complaint to the Ceann Comhairle.

The Journal has learned that the garda review examined CCTV and body camera footage when it arrived at its findings.

Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan has said that he has been told that the review found the allegations to be false.

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris defended the two female gardaí who were at the centre of the allegations and said that the claims in the Dáil were “entirely inaccurate”.

Harris was asked was he disappointed by the comments and he said: “Well disappointed in so much as they were entirely inaccurate, and there was nothing then for us to investigate no wrongdoing was identified, and nothing then for us to report on to Fiosrú.”

On 1 April, the Dáil was heard allegations that female protesters were strip-searched following the Mothers Against Genocide protest outside Leinster House at which 11 people were arrested.

The protest was held on Mother’s Day with some protesters participating in an overnight vigil.

Mothers Against Genocide then held a sit down demonstration blocking the gates of the Dáil’s entrance -gardaí arrested 11 people on public order offences.

Cavity search allegation

In the Dáil, Solidarity-People Before Profit TD Ruth Coppinger said she personally knew some of the protestors.

“Some of those women were strip-searched and one was subjected to a cavity search,” she said.

She also alleged that protesters were told by gardaí: “What do you think would happen if you were outside the White House right now?”

Coppinger’s colleague Richard Boyd Barrett quoted from an account he said he received from one of the women involved.

“I was stripped completely naked and was asked to remove my underwear. When I questioned the necessity of this, I was told I would be forced violently, if I didn’t comply,” the account read.

“After removing my underwear, they looked inside my private areas and touched all my sensitive parts.”

O’Callaghan has said that he requested the review as it involved “serious allegations” against gardaí and that it was said under Dáil privilege.

“I asked that bodycam footage and any recordings be examined, particularly recordings from Garda stations.

“Having conducted his inquiries, the Commissioner reported back to me last week in writing, stating that his inquiries revealed that the allegations made by some members of Dáil Eireann were false.

“I want you to know that I know that these allegations were very upsetting and damaging for the female gardai accused of this grave wrongdoing,” he said.

Reflect

O’Callaghan called on politicians to be careful when using Dáil privilege.

“Politicians, in my opinion, should reflect on that before standing up in Dail Eireann to make very serious allegations about identifiable gardai,” he added.

“I’m entirely content there’s no wrongdoing on actually, what was gone was in line with our procedures,” the Commissioner said. 

The Minister said that politicians should direct people alleging garda misconduct to Fiosrú, Office of the Police Ombudsman which recently replaced GSOC.

“Any such investigation conducted by Fiosru will also have access to the recordings examined by the Commissioner. If such a complaint is made, it will be thoroughly investigated and determined.

“But if people won’t avail of that statutory procedure, politicians should not be condemning the gardai for doing the lawful job that the Oireachtas has asked and authorised you to do,” he added.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner this afternoon Ruth Coppinger stood by her comments in the Dáil.

“All I’ll say is I believe [the] women. I don’t know what footage the minister viewed. Maybe he should invite some people to some sort of meeting to view this footage.

“Why would women make this information up? And one person in particular who had the more invasive cavity search as well. It wouldn’t even occur to me if I was arrested that that would happen to me.” 

In a statement issued to The Journal on Tuesday evening, Mothers Against Genocide also stood over what those arrested had said about their experiences in custody. 

“We note the various Gardaí accounts appearing in the media,” the statement said. 

“Everyone involved are in the process of receiving legal advice in relation to their complaints, and we are extremely disappointed that the Minister for Justice Jim O Callaghan would make the statements he did without having had any engagement with the people affected.

“Independent complaints processes are there for a reason, and we call on the Minister to respect that due process, and allow the people affected the time to receive legal advice and submit their complaints, rather than repeat statements based on another instance of Gardaí investigating themselves.”

No complaint

In a statement, Fiosrú said has received 24 contacts from “concerned members of the public about the media reports of the protest”.

“It is open to anyone directly or indirectly affected by or who has witnessed an act or omission by An Garda Síochána members to make a complaint to Fiosrú.

“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 statement said.

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