TANAISTE SAYS SHE FULLY SUPPORTS PLANS FOR MAJOR OVERHAUL OF GARDAI
The Tánaiste is supporting calls for an urgent overhaul of the gardaí at all levels.
Joan Burton is backing her colleague Frances Fitzgerald, who says there is major mistrust in the force.
The Justice Minister is demanding urgent change in the structure and culture of the gardai at all levels. Writing in the Irish Independent, Frances Fitzgerald says a series of systemic failings have generated mistrust in the force.
She said that the public image of the gardai had become tainted by “massive controversy” and public “mistrust”.
Minister Fitzgerald says she will bring forward new legislation this week to reform and strengthen the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC).
The Tánaiste says she fully agrees that an overhaul is needed to help ordinary people have confidence in the force.
But she says the changes being planned by Minister Fitzgerald would not have happened without Labour.
“After a very long campaign by the Labour Party the government has agreed to have an indepdent garda authority; I think that will be one of the biggest contributors to the reform – if you like – of garda practice, protocol and procedures in this country” she added.
