Download Government reports and associated letter on Inquiry of Senior Counsel Sean Guerin.

The Government has today Friday, 9 May 2014 published the Report by Mr Sean Guerin SC on a Review of the action taken by An Garda Síochána pertaining to certain allegations made by Sergeant Maurice McCabe.

The Government will give careful consideration to the contents of the report and it will be discussed at the Government meeting next week.

Read the Guerin report here:

http://www.merrionstreet.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Final-Redacted-Guerin-Report1.pdf

Read Senior Counsel Sean Guerin’s letter regarding Review of Action taken in Relation to Allegations Made by Sergeant Maurice McCabe here:

http://www.merrionstreet.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/doc04733120140509110739.pdf

Read full press release here:

http://www.merrionstreet.ie/index.php/2014/05/government-publishes-guerin-report-2/

You will always get the full behind the scene picture from Arthur O Hara.

People can say what they like about An Garda Siochana – its their right!  A right that is protected by the forces of law and order – An Garda Síochána.

Irrespective of how badly some may wish to portray the force, it’s work goes on 24X7X365 under circumstances that are being made extraordinarily difficult by the powers that be and additionally without adequate realistic resources.  The members of An Garda Siochana are forced to improvise with their own personal resources and in their own time to try to get the job done and to endeavour to keep us all safe and have someone we can, as citizens turn to when in real trouble and in order to prevent anarchy and massive social disorder, which is not far below the surface in present times.  Hardly a news bulletin goes by but that we hear of the daily multiple successes all over the country of the Gardai against criminals, the major investigations being conducted, even under such adverse working conditions.  Also the compassionate actions taken daily in matters of tragedies and disasters.

A simple in-service training programme does not exist to keep members of the force up-skilled on an on-going basis with rapidly changing times and legislation.  Yet the full rigors of the law will be brought to bear on a member of An Garda Síochána should he or she fall short in the exercise of their duties.  There is no shortage of money when it comes to paying the legal profession to prosecute members of the force who can be actually ignorant of their expected duty requirements principally because they do not have an ongoing upskilling  programme.  That is simply unfair and UNJUST.

There is one very big flaw in the Guerin Report that nobody seems to have picked up on.  What does Senior Counsel Sean Guerin really know about policing?  Is he familiar with the Garda Siochana Code – rules and regulations members of the force must abide by?  I’m afraid Sergeant Maurice McCabe did not abide by the Garda Siochana Code and operational regulations – the Guerin Report clearly indicates and identifies so but does not countenance or probably realise the Sergeant was in such contravention!  While one takes for granted that ‘wrong-doing’ is not an option for An Garda Siochana, every member in such a large organisation must abide by the force working code, regulations and guidelines, including Sergeant McCabe.  It is a case of ‘the tail wagging the dog‘.  I doubt very much that most members of the existing force would ever want to work with him!  To have Senior Counsel Guerin draw up a report in such a short length of time and form opinions, on which he recommends action by Government is a disgrace and a totally dangerous undermining of the police service generally.  The fact the work of An Garda Siochana continues successfully is testament to that!

It seems to me once again that an Irish Government further wishes to denigrate the effectiveness of the policing service in Ireland, a service being conducted by a world renowned force.  Ask the United Nations.  The main problem – the real elephant in the room regarding any perceived adversities within the police service in Ireland is that it is too closely aligned to politics and politicians, from whom they have learned some very bad lessons.  They are making a dogs dinner of the service.  After all VIP’s in Ireland cannot still step outside their doors without a Garda presence – the same Garda personnel they trust to do this job but at the same time they are determined to destroy and denigrate.  Does not make for logic.

All of this adverse publicity being foisted on the public from dysfunctional state services by a bought media helps to create a greater danger for the men and women serving in An Garda Siochana, giving drunken louts and criminals an excuse to have a serious go at the Gardai as they try to undertake their duties on behalf of a grateful public. This is actually a major breach of Health and Safety regulations.

Members of An Garda Siochana do carry out their duties irrespective of the odds and any added threat, full well knowing that if they are injured and in many cases assassinated in the line of duty they or their families will be left to wait 10 to 13 years for any compensation issues to be addressed.  This is how those “WHO SERVE” are treated in Ireland.

The core problem lies with politicians and the Senior Civil Service in the relevant Ministries, in particular Justice and Home Affairs.  The senior management ranks in An Garda Siochana have been looked down upon and treated with disdain by even the most junior of civil servants in these ministries.

Where else but in Ireland would you have senior Civil Servants meeting agents of the British Security Services MI5 and MI6 and also other national security services in other countries when it was the place of the National Police Service to do so.  To do otherwise would take what they perceive and interpret as a  junket away from them.  We can only guess at what such people had to say after copius amounts of alcohol plied during the course of such meetings.  They won’t comment on these liaisons quoting the usual ‘state security’ covers all bit – bull!

Mark my words – nothing substantial will take place as a consequence of what is going on at the moment.  The present status quo will remain.  All of this is a dangerous smoke-screen to try diverting attention.  It could really backfire though!

One of the first things a Government must do is enshrine the function of its policing service in its constitution.  Garda or police are not mentioned in Bunreacht na hÉireann – the Irish Constitution.

Any further inquiry that might be conducted will only serve one purpose – to re-line the pockets of the legal profession who were so badly stung in the property bubble burst.

More to come…