Gardaí told to work with ombudsman

Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy today warned gardaí to fully co-operate with the Garda Ombudsman or face being arrested.

Mr Conroy urged officers to be upfront with the official watchdog, who will have power to arrest gardaí and search stations.

He also conceded there would likely be some resistance to the ombudsman in the immediate aftermath of it starting its work next month.

"When something new is introduced it's only natural that members of the organisation, or indeed members of the public, would have concerns for a while," he said. "But I'm trying to shift away from any of those concerns."

He warned force that he was fully behind the right of the independent ombudsman investigators to detain serving officers.

"Nobody should have anything to fear if we are carrying out our duties in an effective and efficient manner and also in a professional manner," he said. "But if people think they can act outside the box, and do their own thing, well of course there will be arrests, and rightly so.

"Whatever is required of us to do, we do it. We help and support the Ombudsman with their investigations." Mr Conroy said.

The commissioner confirmed that Garda stations across the country would have to accept Ombudsman investigators carrying out searches without notice.

Mr Conroy told the Association of Garda Superintendents at their annual conference in Dublin that he wanted all officers to adapt to changes as the force is overhauled.

"If they [the Ombudsman office and the Ombudsman's investigator] fix times for appointments and interviews I want our members of the organisation to turn up on time and make themselves available for whatever interviews are necessary."