recommendations
There should be an independent outside audit of the implementation of new Garda policy on the handling of informants.
The crime and security section at headquarters in the Phoenix Park needs
to be strengthened to ensure it is protected as a valuable resource in the fight against terror.
The chief superintendent of a district should be obliged to report to headquarters on the outcome of any Garda operation run on the receipt of intelligence.
A new means of removing gardaí from office should be considered.
Senior officers must keep daily journals, which become part of case papers.
Entries from Garda diaries should be kept available for the future.
Conferences in major cases should have a designated taker of notes, to form part of the case papers.
The Communications Regulator should make it a condition that Garda queries be answered in five working days and urgent cases in 24 hours, or firms risk losing their licence.
An independent data bank should be set up to store phone records to help Garda queries.
Superintendents ought to have the power to set up specialist units to police the area.
Superintendents should be given control over transferring officers to units, training programmes or elsewhere.
A special offence of failure to account for duty, punishable by dismissal or suspension, should be created.
Gardaí must personally write a document putting themselves on duty.
Discipline regulations should be revised to make them more streamlined, less cumbersome and swifter.
A body to deal with concerns on gardaí behaviour must be set up.
Superintendents should physically review files of inspectors, sergeants and gardaí to show an interest in cases.
The chief superintendent and assistant commissioner of the region should periodically review the progress of all major cases - potential pitfalls, difficulties and controversies should be reported.
The Minister for Justice and Garda Commissioner should review recommendations of the tribunal's first report, including the method of reporting to headquarters.
Communications between Garda headquarters and the regions should be strengthened.
Details on all major cases should be reported by headquarters to the Department of Justice.
There should be an internal review on how information is passed between headquarters and the department.
There should be moves to set up a body to which difficulties and irregularities in cases can be reported should be supported.
The Garda Internal Audit Section should be strengthened with officers from Canada or an equivalent force.
Civil service entry rules should be revised to allow the transfer of officers to Ireland from across the EU and elsewhere.
The discipline of crime analysis should be developed alongside a friendly force such as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Consider bringing civilian analysts into the force.
All sources of information in a major investigation should be integrated through a computer system.
Exhumation orders should never be put on hold.
Department of Justice officials should thoroughly query requests for the order.
- (PA)