GARDA COMMISSIONER Martin Callinan has rejected suggestions by sergeants and inspectors that there is political interference in policing.
“I am accountable to the Minister, but I have never, ever come across a situation where the Minister tried to influence me in terms of how I conduct my business with the control and governance of An Garda Síochána,” he said.
While he had last year been asked by Minister for Justice Alan Shatter to draw up a list of Garda stations for closure this year and had again been asked to identify more stations for closure next year, this had to be done in the context of the economic situation the State was facing and was not as a result of political interference.
He was speaking yesterday at the annual conference of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors in Ballymoney, Co Wexford.
Association general secretary Joe Dirwan said the establishment of an independent policing authority would remove political control from the promotion of senior officers and from budgeting issues for the Garda.
In addition, Mr Dirwan suggested the Government’s role in appointing Garda officers to the positions of superintendent or higher was unhealthy.
“While Government has a say over appointments in An Garda Síochána, there will always be that perception there that people are not promoted on merit. You have to remove that and you have to make the system as open and transparent as possible.” He also believed the minister for justice of the day generally had too much power over the Garda force.
Mr Callinan said that while the issue of closures had been raised repeatedly, he was working hard to ensure policing would not be compromised in those areas where stations were shutting. He said the Garda was becoming more efficient and that a better level of policing was emerging.
While Mr Shatter had been unable to say whether criminal investigations were under way into the issues raised in the Moriarty tribunal’s final report published last year, Mr Callinan said no such investigations had begun.
He said that at the time the report was published, he had asked the Criminal Assets Bureau to review it and compile a review document for his consideration. This had been received a number of months ago and was now with the DPP’s office. Senior gardaí were consulting the DPP’s staff on issues that might form the basis of criminal investigations.
He did not agree it was unusual that the Garda would consult so closely with the DPP rather than starting its own criminal inquiries and taking the DPP’s advice later.
Mr Callinan said the tribunal’s report was complex and extensive and gardaí needed to review it and take advice before committing significant resources to any criminal investigation that might arise.
The three-day conference concludes this afternoon.
