Gardaí are ignoring summonses against a Fine Gael backbencher, Independent TD Mick Wallace told the Dáil. He said the backbencher had “three fixed charges’’ against him. “They were not terminated, but they are kept on a shelf and the summonses were not served,” he added.

Mr Wallace also claimed there was “serious Garda malpractice’’ in the Athlone area. He said in 2012, a garda had gone to see Taoiseach Enda Kenny in Castlebar and told him about the malpractice “in relation to a certain superintendent” . He had told Mr Kenny “that if you don’t do something about him, you will be reading about him in the papers,” Mr Wallace said.

“Later that same year you gave approval to the promotion of this superintendent to chief superintendent,’’ Mr Wallace said. He added that the chief superintendent was now the subject of three investigations, adding he had since been moved to Garda headquarters in the Phoenix Park.

“Now, I ask you, what hope is there for reform as long as the old hierarchy remains in place?” Mr Wallace asked. “Surely, Taoiseach, you must realise this is a part of the problem and not the solution.”

Mr Kenny said he had sent Mr Wallace a note when he had previously raised the issue in the Dáil seeking details. “You did not respond to that note, Deputy Wallace,” he said. Mr Kenny said the Government had taken action to introduce the most radical changes to the policing situation since the State’s foundation.

Mr Wallace said the Taoiseach had no appetite for change. “He likes the fact that policing is still politicised in Ireland and he will keep it that way.”