SHOULD REVIEW ATTITUDE TO GARDA AUTHORITY IN LIGHT OF PLAN FOR GREATER CIVILIAN ROLE
Friday, 14 September, 2007
The Final Report from the Advisory Group on Garda Management and Leadership Development, contains a number of imaginative and innovative recommendations, which, if implemented, would lead to significant improvements in the management and operation of the Gardai.
However, the logical outcome of greater civilian role in the running of the Garda – the key recommendation made by Maurice Hayes and his colleagues – would be the establishment of an Independent Garda Authority, as proposed by the Labour Party.
This is the latest in a series of reports on Garda reform have the potential to transform the Gardai and help re-establish public confidence in the force in the aftermath of the shocking disclosures regarding Garda activity in Donegal.
I welcome, in particular, the strong recommendation contained in the Report for the greater use of civilian staff to release trained Gardai for front line duty. Greater civilianisation has been recommended in a series of reports, but the process has been painfully slow and it is difficult to disagree with the report’s description of the process to date as ‘risible’.
We have now embarked on a process that is going to ensure a far greater civilian role in the management of the Gardai. I would strongly urge the government to review the opposition that it has expressed to Labour’s proposal for an Independent Garda Authority. A Garda Authority would ensure increased public scrutiny and greater accountability of the force. The Authority would incorporate the current Garda Inspectorate drive the sort of reforms proposed by Maurice Hayes in this report.
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