An excessively deferential approach and a reluctance to apply for search warrants to secure church records were suggested as contributory factors

Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan responded to the report by saying that the force had given ‘huge attention’ to improving its handling of child sexual abuse investigations.

This is the standard response when serious failures are revealed within the Garda, the political system, the church or the financial sector.

Mistakes were made in the past but now everything is rosy in the garden – until the next failure, the next scandal.

While the media is, by far, the most effective force in bringing state authorities to account there are occasions when sections of the media do get things wrong.

An Irish Times editorial in response to the Garda Inspectorate report tells us (My emphasis):

It is important to realise that this investigation was ordered in the aftermath of the Murphy report concerning clerical sex abuse in the Dublin archdiocese and it deals with criticisms of the Garda Síochána from 2009.

The report was delivered in 2010, as public anger over denials and cover-ups by the Catholic hierarchy overflowed and a fresh investigation was launched in the Cloyne diocese.

In the circumstances, withholding the document to avoid the Garda being caught up in public condemnations was understandable.

It is, of course, neither understandable nor acceptable that information should be withheld to save any state institution from being the subject of public odium.

The expression of public anger in response to state failures is a crucial element in a healthy democracy.

Copy to:
Irish Times

Five people were arrested as part of the investigation and are being held in various Dublin Garda stations under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act. A large quantity of documents were also seized in the raids.

Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton said;

I’ve met with the Revenue Commissioners I’m taking new powers in the Social Welfare Act to have joint working groups.

Every Euro saved on fraud is money that can go to pay our pensioners and child benefit.

As a country we have to change the culture of social welfare and black economy fraud.

An RTE reporter excitedly reported that Garda were operating a new type of investigation whereby social welfare fraudsters can be brought before the courts on indictment thus bringing them before the higher courts almost immediately.

Gardai in the Fraud Bureau are also training Dept. of Social Protection inspectors on how to gather evidence that’s presentable before the courts.

If evidence is gathered in a particular way it will allow Gardai to get a warrant almost immediately, arrest these social welfare fraudsters and prosecute them at a higher level.

So, let’s take a break from all this exciting law enforcement to summarise the situation.

The police are taking immediate and strong action on receipt of allegations of wrong doing.

The police are arresting people suspected of financial fraud under the Criminal Justice Act.

The seizure of large quantities of documents, we presume, will in no way hinder quick prosecutions and jail sentences where appropriate.

A Government minister is actively involved in the operation and has no hesitation whatsoever in using all legislative powers at her disposal.

Politicians, police, Dept of Social Protection and the Revenue Commissioners are all working together in a concerted effort to prevent financial fraud and bring those who break the law to immediate justice.

This, of course, is the way things should be done in a real democracy. These fraudsters deserve everything they get.

Unfortunately, in a dysfunctional democracy like Ireland, law enforcement of this intensity, coordination and cooperation is strictly reserved for the peasant class.

The white collar criminals that infest the financial, political and business sectors, the vermin who destroyed our country, continue to enjoy full protection within a hopelessly corrupt state.

Over three weeks on and we’re still waiting for the Gardai to begin an investigation.

Here’s what’s happening.

The Gardai are delaying any investigation in the hope that the matter will be resolved politically.

The politicians are desperately trying to get rid of Callely before he further exposes just how corrupt the expenses system really is.

The Gardai will take no further action until they receive instructions from their political masters.

This is how things are done in a banana republic.

Last Tuesday, after complaining about the slow pace of the so called Garda investigation into Anglo Irish Bank, Mr. Noonan was asked did he think there was some political foot dragging.

His reply was interesting and very revealing:

Public servants, including Gardai and senior civil servants, always try to act on what they regard as ministers and government priorities and they obviously feel that there isn’t an urgency because these matters are not priorities with government.

In real democracies the police act on crime and reports of crime. In Ireland, according to Mr. Noonan, they act according to political priorities.

This explains why white collar crime is virtually unknown in Ireland.

The Minister went on to say that the remarks were

An unprecedented political intervention by a Garda representative and have no place in a modern democracy

and

No democrat could tolerate such political interventions by any member of a police force.

Garda Commissioner, Fachtna Murphy, said he was not happy and would be calling in GRA General Secretary PJ Stone and new GRA President Damien McCarthy to explain their actions.

Fianna Fáil TD Niall Collins said that the outgoing president of the Garda Representative Association, Michael Boyce, (GRA) should be removed from the force for such criticism of the Government, the Minister and Fianna Fáil.

Clearly, the development was seen as extremely serious by the Government and the leadership of the Gardai and, in a functional democracy, strong and decisive action would inevitably follow – so what happened?

On Tuesday the Minister said he was going to do nothing because the Garda responsible for the mutinous statement was the outgoing president of the GRA.

Unfortunately for the Minister the incoming president of the GRA, Damien McCarthy, said he fully agreed with the outgoing president that the Government, Fianna Fail and the Minister himself had been corrupted by years of power.

This was a reiteration of the mutinous statement and provided the Minister with another opportunity to demonstrate that he understood his responsibilities as Justice Minister by taking strong and decisive action.

Predictably, however, Ahern again abdicated responsibility by issuing a wishy-washy statement calling on the GRA to apologise to the Irish people for trying to politicise the police force

The calling in of the mutinous policemen to explain their behaviour by the Garda Commissioner was just as pathetic and ineffective.

Commissioner Murphy reminded the men that they were still Guards and therefore must abide by the rules. He said he could not tolerate political comment from members of the force.

The whole farcical, keystone cops episode was accurately summed up on RTEs News at One (4th report, 2nd item) when it was reported that no action would be taken against O’Boyce because he was the outgoing president of the GRA and no action would be taken against McCarthy because he was the incoming president.

The bottom line is clear: Representatives of rank and file Gardai have (accurately) accused this Government of corruption, criminality and national sabotage.

The abject failure of the State to refute the allegations by taking strong and decisive action can, effectively, be seen as an admission that the charges are true.

This successful challenge to the authority of the State is merely the opening shot of what is to come as our republic continues to be exposed as the fraudulent and failed entity that it has always been.

If this was to happen in the army it would be regarded as mutiny, that’s the reality in relation to this.

They’re the enforcers of the law that the Oireachtas passes and they cannot delve into politics because they are crossing the line.

So what are you going to do about it?

asked Miriam O’Callaghan

I’m not going to do anything because this man is outgoing.

So there you have it. The national police force accuses the Minister and his government of national sabotage, corruption and facilitating widespread criminal activity and the Minister for Justice, the man allegedly in charge, is going to do nothing on the grounds that the routine handing over of the presidency of the GRA from one Garda to another is taking place.

This is just a pathetic excuse for doing nothing by a cowardly and incompetent Minister. Apparently, the Minister’s logic is that the outgoing president, Mr. Boyce, is being replaced by a more reasonable and loyal Garda.

Since then, however, the incoming president of the GRA, Mr. Damien McCarthy, has gone on the record as saying he agrees that the Government, Fianna Fáil and the Minister for Justice have been corrupted by years of power and he supports the (treasonous) comments of his predecessor 100% and without reservation.

The situation is now crystal clear.

The national police force is in rebellion against the State and the Government. This, in my opinion, is a legitimate stance to take against a government that has betrayed its people and the rebellion is further legitimised by the (corrupt) government’s acceptance of the situation.

Copy to:
Minister for Justice

Let me be clear, this destruction of the old republic is the most significant and most positive thing to happen since independence.

The process of disintegration was triggered by the global financial crisis which had the affect of exposing Ireland for what it really is – a corrupt state.

The most serious (and welcome) incident in this process happened yesterday at the annual conference of the Garda Representative Association when the president of the GRA, Michael Boyce, circulated a speech strongly criticising the Government, Fianna Fail and the Minister for Justice.

I do not believe I am exaggerating when I say that the speech is on a par with the Proclamation of the Republic in 1916.

Obviously, neither Michael Boyce nor the GRA are declaring a rebellion but they have thrown down a very strong challenge to the ruling power which they clearly believe (just as the 1916 rebels believed about the then ruling power) have no right to govern the Irish people.

Every word of the following extract from the speech is true and it is heartening, at last, to witness somebody stand up and publicly state the truth.

We are angry at the arrogance of a government corrupted by years of power, a government whose only agenda is to protect the economic traitors.

This government has mismanaged the wealth of the country for more than a decade by allowing our assets to be plundered and robbed by bankers and speculators.

You are making generations of Irish workers pay the price for this treachery.

You did this because bankers and speculators bought your party and in return you sacrificed the greater good and prosperity of the Irish nation for the benefit of the few who have taken their ill gotten gains and secured them in tax havens around the world.

You are truly a government of national sabotage.

Apart from a military coup, this is the most serious challenge any government could face. If the police force in the UK, France or the US made such a challenge to the State there would be an immediate and strong response.

Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said the remarks were

an unprecedented political intervention by a Garda representative and have no place in a modern democracy

and

No democrat could tolerate such political interventions by any member of a police force.

If Ahern truly believes he lives in a democracy then he has no option but to take immediate action. At a minimum, the Minister should immediately sack Michael Boyce and summarily disband the GRA.

The government cannot ignore this challenge and retain any credibility, they must respond with strong action or admit, by default, that what has been uttered is true and take their leave from office.

I passionately believe that Michael Boyce and the GRA are right in their assessment of the situation and that; sooner rather than later, this corrupt government will be thrown out of power.

It is only when the mechanisms of the old corrupt regime are completely dismantled that the people of Ireland can begin the task of building a new republic.

Traffic Blues is the name of a new RTE programme that records the new Garda Traffic Corps in action. A number of people called into Liveline on Monday to comment on the most recent edition of this police programme.

The first incident concerned a motorist who was breaking the law by driving with a provisional licence without an accompanying qualified driver. She also had five young children in the back seat who were not wearing seat belts; three of these children were so young that they should have been secured in booster seats.

After some bizarre behaviour by the driver, which included getting down on her knees on the road to beg forgiveness from the garda, viewers were solemnly informed by a programme voiceover that the Garda was about to make a very serious point.

“It’s an on the spot fine, it’s an €80 fine and two penalty points for having children in the back of the car with no seat belts. So off you go there, thank you.”

We then witnessed a so called officer of the law allow this potential death car, with five children clearly at risk; drive off with an illegal driver in charge.

Unfortunately, this extremely dangerous and stupid decision by the Garda is not unusual in a country where law enforcement, at all levels, is a national joke.

The bizarre reaction of Joe Duffy further confirmed that as a nation we are light years away from understanding the basic connection between breaking traffic laws and the regular sight of dead and mangled bodies all over our roads. When a caller suggested that perhaps the errant motorist should not have been allowed to drive away Joe responded:

“But the thing that struck me was that the Gardai are very civil compared to the UK where every English policeman seems to have a tattoo for a start and every English policeman or woman seems to be have a combination of arrogance and ignorance when they’re dealing with the public as they flash their tattooed shoulders or arms. I just think that Gardai come across very well but you think they’re very soft.”

He later repeated this blanket condemnation of an entire police force that, in my opinion, is one of the most courteous and professional in the world.

“My point is the UK police are extraordinarily rough and uncouth with their tattoos and their mace and whatever else they spray on you. Maybe it’s a completely different environment but compared to our Gardai, our Gardai are civil guardians of the peace.”

This is a straight forward case of pathological denial. Joe Duffy is simply incapable of understanding that road traffic laws are there to protect lives, he’s incapable of making the connection between mangled and dead bodies scattered all over the road and the non enforcement of such laws and most of all he’s completely incapable of accepting for a moment the possibility that our police force has more in common with the Keystone Cops than a modern, professional law enforcement agency. Instead, Duffy reverts to the age old gombeenism of attacking the British.

While researching for this post I came across the following definition of denial:

“A mechanism of the immature mind, because it conflicts with the ability to learn from and cope with reality.”

Tragically, this definition applies to the majority of Irish citizens and is one of the principal reasons why our country is a complete failure as a state.

Copy to:
Joe Duffy

Madam,

If I find there is an intruder sneaking around my home in the middle of the night, should I dial 999 and tell the operator that someone is attempting to nail a painting to my wall without permission? Because that seems to be a very effective way of getting the gardaí to respond quickly. I certainly won’t tell them that there’s a gang of bankers in the kitchen rummaging through my wallet.

Yours, etc,

SHANE Ó MEARÁIN,
Sandymount Road,
Sandymount,
Dublin 4.

Madam

The unfolding story of Cowen-Gate is an almost perfect parable of the life and abilities of this Government and Fianna Fáil.

With our economy in tatters, our education and health care systems decimated, more people unemployed than ever before, and cronyism and corruption rife in Irish life, it takes two satirical portraits of Brian Cowen in the nip and the ridiculous attempts to censor the coverage of them, for people to finally realise that the emperor has no clothes.

Sad to say, it seems that we are living in a banana republic without either the good weather or the bi-annual excitement of a change of government.

Yours etc,
HARRY LEECH,
Leinster Place,
Rathmines,
Dublin 6.

Credibility crisis for politicians

THE Government and our politicians lack the credibility required to lead the country. We’re told the country is in deep financial trouble, yet they continue to draw ridiculously inflated salaries, totally out of proportion to our size as an economy.

If, as the Taoiseach says, we all need to “put our shoulders to the wheel in order to save the economy”, why is it that public sector workers feel Mr Cowen’s weight, in addition to that of all the the other TDs and senators, on top of that wheel.

Where are the swingeing cuts to their salaries and expenses which would lend some credibility to their pronouncements? The public sector, on top of the pension levy, are to be hit with a 25% cut in travel and subsistence expenses while, at the same time, TDs are to receive a 10% cut to their expenses.

Is there something wrong with that? The public sector represents about one- sixth (or 17%) of the population currently in employment. What about the other 83%?

If gardaí, nurses, firemen, teachers, etc, receive a 7% or 8% cut in their wages they may no longer be able to pay their bills and feed their families, yet if the politicians, department mandarins and other fat-cats took a 50% cut across the board, they would still have a lifestyle the rest of us can only dream about.

The financial regulator, on retiring, walked away with more than e600,000 as a thank you.

Thanks for what? Have you seen the state of the banks? On that subject, our pension fund was used to recapitalise the banks.

If the banks needed money, how can the Bank of Ireland pay its workers a 3.5% pay increase which is being denied to both the public and private sectors at large. An all-party committee set up by the Dáil to look at ways of reducing the expenses of TDs and senators has, to date, cost the taxpayer an extra e400,000.

This whole thing is a sick joke on the ordinary people of this country.

When the Taoiseach starts to address that we can make progress and maybe save this country if its not already too late. Leadership. Not self-preservation.

Michael Corcoran
Centra Executive Committee
Garda Representative Association
Anglesea Street
Cork