The Commissioner commenting on the entirety of the work of the Tribunal over the last six years -
Commenting on the entirety of the work of the Tribunal over the last six years, the Commissioner said: "The events outlined in the various reports of the Tribunal and the unacceptable actions of individual members of An Garda Síochána identified in those reports represent a dark period in the history of a proud organisation. They are not only disappointing and a matter of deep regret to myself as Commissioner and my colleagues, they do a grave disservice to the tradition of An Garda Síochána and dishonour our primary objective which is to provide professional, fair and effective policing to our community. "The powers and authority bestowed on individual members of An Garda Síochána carry immense responsibility and must always be exercised proportionately in the pursuance of legitimate policing activity which makes our community safer. "I therefore want to restate the apology I made following the publication of the Sixth Report to those people who were found to have been mistreated by members of An Garda Síochána. It remains a matter of profound regret to me that these individuals were subjected to police actions which fell far short of the high standards which the community is entitled to expect from all members of An Garda Síochána."
The Commissioner acknowledged the extensive work of the Morris Tribunal and how that work and the reports of the Tribunal have informed and enhanced the wide-ranging programme of change and modernisation embarked on by An Garda Síochána. The Commissioner unreservedly accepts the findings in all eight reports. In paying tribute to Judge Morris, the Commissioner highlighted some of the many important changes which have flowed from the work of the Tribunal including: · the introduction of a performance and accountability framework; · the implementation of a new management system for handling covert human intelligence sources (CHIS); · the establishment of a Crime Training Faculty; · the introduction of extensive training programme's for Senior Investigating Officers and crime scene investigators; · the appointment of specially trained forensic collision investigators; · the appointment of family liaison officers; and · the introduction of new, comprehensive Treatment of Persons in Custody records and guidelines.
Referring specifically to the Eighth and final Report of the Tribunal which investigated allegations made about senior gardaí, the Commissioner said: "I am grateful that the Tribunal has publicly vindicated the reputation of two highly respected senior members of An Garda Síochána, namely, Assistant Commissioner Kevin Carty and retired Assistant Commissioner Tony Hickey and I note that Judge Morris emphasised that the ‘appalling allegations’ made against both officers were completely untrue and unwarranted." Speaking directly to Garda members in Donegal and the wider Garda family, the Commissioner said: "I am conscious that the past ten years have been difficult for the vast majority of members of An Garda Síochána who get up every morning and go out to do a decent and honest day’s work in service of their community. I realise only too well that the unacceptable actions of a minority of their colleagues has sometimes made that day’s work challenging and difficult as their own reputations were sometimes unfairly associated with the events described in the Morris Tribunal. I want to acknowledge the commitment and dedication of those members who continued to perform their duties professionally and effectively in the face of those challenges both in the Donegal division and throughout the country. "My commitment as Commissioner is to ensure that, as an organisation, we take the valuable lessons gained from this examination of past events and harness that learning to help us deliver excellent policing into the future. The changes we have introduced can only enhance our work and relationship with the communities we police. Today, we move forward, committed to working in partnership for the benefit of all the people we serve and delivering a safe and secure community for everyone."
Sinéad McSweeney
Director of Communications
An Garda Síochána
Tuesday 7th October 2008 16.11hrs
Ref: 1163/08
