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A Garda checkpoint

Further to the near one million false breath test figures and 14,700 wrongful convictions…

And Taoiseach Enda Kenny telling the Dáil yesterday that the Government has agreed to an external investigation into the matters – the details of which have yet to be decided.

This external investigation will be on top of an internal Garda investigation and one carried out by the Policing Authority.

Assistant Commissioner Michael Finn, who held a press conference on the matter last week, said Superintendent Pat Murray from Athlone had been appointed to carry out the “fact finding” internal investigation.

Further to this…

On December 15, 2015, during a Dáil debate, in the presence of the Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald, on the Garda Síochána (Policing Authority and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015…

Independents 4 Change TD Clare Daly said:

“…the current treatment of whistleblowers is absolutely dire. Subsequently, the position of Garda Keith Harrison has been vindicated by the State pulling out of a High Court action it had taken against him at enormous personal and emotional cost, not to mind the cost to the taxpayer of a ludicrous, vindictive action. It is worth saying that the judge in that case was the senior counsel during the Morris tribunal. It is quite clear that from his stance, nothing has really changed in the sense that he awarded full costs to Garda Harrison.

“This is important because why else are we here discussing a policing authority? It is to have independent scrutiny and accountability of the gardaí.”

“It would be entirely appropriate for the Minister to comment on the Garda Inspectorate’s report which has obviously shocked people. It has also vindicated everything we have said – that nothing has changed inside the ranks of the Garda Síochána, except the faces at the top. I am surprised that people have not called for the current Garda Commissioner to resign because she is standing over a situation that is at least as bad, if not worse, than what the former Commissioner Callanan stood over. It is worse because the scale of the knowledge that is in the public domain has not been addressed.”

“The previous Garda Inspectorate’s report gave a damning account of gardaí massaging the crime figures, for example. That resulted in the analysis of crime figures having to be withdrawn for a period. It is a very serious matter.

We know for a fact that the massaging of the figures is still continuing. In recent weeks, in Superintendent Pat Murray’s station in the midlands and in Athlone, we have seen direct evidence of at least eight cases where crimes were written down so that the original crime was reclassified as a more minor matter.

There is clear evidence of massaging the figures – for example, changing burglaries to criminal damage, which is reclassification.”

In addition, during the same debate, Independents 4 Change TD Mick Wallace said:

“First, the Minister asked for proof of what Deputy Daly actually said. Tomorrow morning, I will give the Minister proof of district officer, Superintendent Pat Murray, reclassifying crime figures. This is an individual who has harassed and bullied a Garda whistleblower to an awful degree for a long time.”

Good times.

Dail transcript via Kildarestreet.com

Rollingnews.ie

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Vera Twomey at Leinster House this afternoon

 

Pro-hemp lobby group Fweed writes:

Just a reminder to Broadsheet readers that there is a rally outside Leinster House, Kioldare Street, Dublin 2at 7pm this evening in support of the Cannabis for Medicinal Use Regulation Bill and Vera Twomey’s campaign to allow her daughter Ava access to medicinal cannabis. All welcome.

Fweed

Previously: Vera Twomey on broadsheet

Rollingnews

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From top: Passing Out at Templemore; Eamonn Farrell (left) hands over a disk of images from a Pegida [anti-Islam group] rally in Dublin after a warrant was presented by Garda Inspector Des McTiernan (right) in March 2016.

A force that has become its own worst enemy.

Eamonn Farrell writes:

Finally, the end of the road for An Garda Síochána, as the Government announce “a root and branch review” of the organisation, which for too long has travelled its own path, ignoring the attempts of governments to carry out corrective actions and refusing to recognise or cooperate with the oversight bodies installed at various stages to try and rein in the growing abuse of its position as guardians and protectors of the citizens of the state.

With mounting evidence of abuses of power, corruption, and the use of illegal methods to obtain prosecutions, finally culminating in what seems to be a brazen attempt to deceive the Government and its citizens, as to the effective carrying out of its duties in the area of road safety, by fraudulently massaging statistics, regardless of the damaging effect this would have on the lives of sections of the population.

Despite this, the Government has been slow to act, at all times finding excuses to avoid accepting the reality that this was not the actions of a few individuals, but the result of the institutionalised inward-looking culture of a force which has become a law onto itself.

The recent disclosures bring into question the reliability of its detection figures in relation to crime and indeed the safety of convictions at all levels.

It is ironic that this has come to a head during the tenure of the first female head of the force. There is a suspicion that she took over the role with an agenda for change, but faced distrust, opposition and animosity from the male dominated management team which she inherited.

An animosity which found expression among some of the crime correspondents whose cosy relationship with the old guard was suddenly disrupted. Resulting in negative media comment regarding her support in the force, which made it more difficult, if not impossible to carry out her promise to reform the force in the time frame intended.

In the end such opposition may have backfired, as now finally the Government, under pressure from all sides, has decided that enough is enough.

And this time, political opposition and public anger may not allow them or any new government to stall in carrying out the root and branch changes required.

The illusion has finally been shattered, and hopefully out of the ashes will grow a force which will be trust worthy and upstanding and deserve the support and admiration of citizens of this Republic.

Eamonn Farrell is head of the Rollingnews photo agency.

Rollingnews

Details of the Ornate Greenhouses at the Botanic Gardens, Dublin

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Inside the Ornate Greenhouses with lots of plants at the Botanic Gardens, Dublin

Inside the Ornate Greenhouses with lots of plants at the Botanic Gardens, Dublin

Like a little Kew and not too far from de Azoo. To wit:

Located just 3 km from Dublin city centre, the National Botanic Gardens are an oasis of calm and beauty, and what’s great is that entry is completely free. The gardens are a scientific institution, the grounds also features the National Herbarium and several historic wrought iron ornate glasshouses. 

PHOTO ESSAY: Exploring the Botanic Gardens (The Streets Of Dublin)

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From top: Eleanor Tiernan, Tiff Stevenson, Stuart Black, Grainne Maguire, Aisling Bea, Wendy Wason, Jarlath Regan and Graham Linehan with our amazing floral display courtesy of WORM London; Grainne Maguire, Eleanor Tiernan and Wendy Wason; Angela Scanlon and Gemma Cairney; Wendy, Aisling and Graham; Aisling and Graham on stage.

Stand Up For Choice.

What do you mean you weren’t invited?

The London Irish Abortion Rights Campaign writes:

Comedians Graham Linehan, Sara Pascoe and Aisling Bea played to a sold out audience of at the London-Irish Centre in Camden last night

The ‘Stand Up for Choice’ gig was organised by the London-Irish Abortion Rights Campaign – a grassroots organisation, calling for the legalisation of abortion in Northern Ireland and the Republic.

All profits were donated to Abortion Rights Campaign and the Abortion Support Network, which offers financial support to women who have to travel to Britain for an abortion.

Graham spoke to the audience about his wife Helen’s abortion in London after their baby was diagnosed with a fatal foetal abnormality – and compared it to the treatment they would have received in Ireland.

“Me and wife had a horrible experience. But we were in England. The End,” he said.

The event was hosted by Tiff Stevenson, who recently wrote about her own experience of abortion. Jarlath Regan, Grainne Maguire, Eleanor Tiernan, Stuart Black and Wendy Wason also took to the stage.

In fairness.

London Irish Abortion Rights Campaign

dublincyclingcampaign

As the proposed Liffey Cycleway is currently being debated by Dublin City Council.

Kieran Ryan writes:

The Dublin Cycling Campaign is hosting a family-friendly, social cycle in support of the Liffey Cycleway this Sunday, April 2.

The cycle will begin at 11am at the Wellington Monument in the Phoenix Park and will follow the proposed route of the Liffey Cycleway along the North Quays as far as the Point Village.

The proposed Liffey Cycleway is a segregated two-way cycle path which will run along Dublin’s North Quays.

The 4.6km path will provide a safe and accessible cycle route from the Phoenix Park all the way to the Point Village.

Such a facility would open up cycling to people of all ages and abilities, especially those who would like to cycle but are too intimidated by the current traffic conditions.

Dublin Cycling Campaign

Previously: An In Depth Look At The Liffey Cycle Plan (IrishCycle)

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Garda Commissioner Noirin O’Sullivan and Justice Minsiter Frances Fitzgerald

The Public Accounts Committee received a 44-page Garda Internal Audit Section report on serious financial irregularities at the Garda College in Templemore on Monday.

It looked at financial transactions at the college from 2009 to 2016.

It also received a further 13-page report in relation to how the recommendations of the GIAS report are being implemented.

The GIAS report was the subject of an article by John Mooney, of The Sunday Times, on January 22, in which Mr Mooney reported, among other things:

Auditors discovered that 37% of all expenditure linked to the college’s laundry service account in 2008 had nothing to do with laundry. Instead €7,231 was spent on meals and entertainment, €2,150 was given to parish clergy, €1,040 to the golf society and €300 spent on jewellery and gifts. A loan facility was also operated from the account with amounts of up to €500 being borrowed and repaid.

The audit discovered 50 bank accounts in total and said the current system of banking had resulted in a “non-transparent system of accounting”.

Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan was asked about it on the Today with Seán O’Rourke show the following day – saying twice during the interview that the concerns raised were “legacy issues”.

This morning chair of PAC, Fianna Fail TD Sean Fleming said PAC will be asking the general secretary of the Department of Justice and the Garda Commissioner to appear before PAC to discuss the reports.

From the executive summary of the GIAS report….

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Meanwhile.

This morning, Social Democrat TD Catherine Murphy spoke to Cormac Ó hEadhra, who was filling in for Seán O’Rourke, about the report and why she believes the Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald mislead the Dáil about the matter on February 9 of this year.

From the interview…

Cormac Ó hEadhra: “This was discussed by Sean O’Rourke with the Garda Commissioner in January, I think. This question of financial irregularity. You raised this question with the Minister for Justice in the Dail, Catherine Murphy, on the 9th of February of this year. And she, in a way, she said this was related to the past, it was stopped and we’ve dealt with it in a way that she used words, with Sean O’Rourke, like ‘legacy issues’, ‘they span back a number of years’. What do you make of that now? Based on what you’re hearing.”

Catherine Murphy: “First of all, I think I was given very misleading information. I raised it at Leaders’ Questions with Frances Fitzgerald in February and it was in the context of the Garda [Maurice] McCabe that was being set up at the time. And I looked for this report to be published. She told me that it had been, it was in the public domain, it had been discussed at length by the justice committee. To be perfectly honest with you that was news to me. I then went back to the office. My staff contacted the justice committee and was told there was no such discussion, so I contacted the Tanaiste’s office again after I put in a lot of PQs, and after five weeks, she said that she had misspoke, that it was actually, it was actually sent to the Public Accounts Committee.”

“Now I had written to the Public Accounts Committee, looking for it to be, looking for the Public Accounts Committee to seek a copy of this report. I knew full well it hadn’t been discussed at the Public Accounts Committee because I’m a member of the Public Accounts Committee. So I feel, I feel I was misled in the Dail by the Tanaiste on this and indeed the report…”

Ó hEadhra: “But she did refer to an audit and in fairness to the minister, we, I quote her now: ‘that was in the public arena’, she says. ‘Questions were answered on it in the justice committee well before it was. Detailed information was put on the record about the audit and the actions that were being taken internally to deal with what had been uncovered by the audit of the college. That is the reality of the situation,’ she says. She may have got the committee wrong but she said it’s being dealt with.”

Murphy: “No it was not dealt it. It wasn’t dealt with at the justice committee. I made exhaustive searches to see. It wasn’t dealt with at the justice committee. What came into the public arena came out as a consequence of a newspaper article in The Sunday Times written by John Mooney. It didn’t transpire as a consequence of a news report as a consequence of a debate that had happened at any committee in the Dail. What I was looking for was that this report would be actually given to the justice committee or would be given to the Public Accounts Committee and that the minister would publish it.”

Ó hEadhra: “Ok, so do you believe the Minister misled you in the Dail? She’ll contest that obviously, I assume. What do you expect her to do now?”

Murphy: “The very first thing is that she should correct the record because it’s not correct to say that it’s discussed anywhere, at any committee, it wasn’t.”

Garda misuse of public money exposed in audit (John Mooney, January 22, 2017)

Garda College kept secret bank accounts (John Mooney, Aaron Rogan, March 29, 2017)

Listen back in full here

Rollingnews