Sir, - I refer to the quoted comments of Mr Donncha O'Connell, director of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, in responding to a call from the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors for the installation of video recording systems in prisoner reception areas and in Garda station cells (The Irish Times, May 24th).
Mr O'Connell's sneering reference to "welcoming the conversion of AGSI to this worthy idea" is seriously inaccurate and misrepresents the position of the AGSI on the question of video recording of prisoners in Garda stations.
The Minister for Justice has had the power to record interviews with suspects electronically since the Criminal Justice Act of 1984. Since that year it has been the policy of AGSI to call for the videotaping of such interviews. We repeated our views in a press statement of Monday, February 5th, 1990, of which I have a copy.
The clear and concise terminology of the motion before our conference - again I dismiss Mr O'Connell's sneering reference - "somewhat confused and presents a rather Orwellian defensiveness" - makes it clear that our primary concern is to protect gardai against false accusations of brutality; that is, after all, our role. However gardai generally welcome the fact that the recording would also act to protect the interests of members of the public in Garda custody. - Yours, etc.,
George Maybury, General Secretary, AGSI, Phibsborough Tower, Dublin 7.