By Jacob Richards
Undoubtedly today’s resignation of Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan is a welcome development in the ongoing saga that is Garda accountability, transparency and the force’s treatment of whistle-blowers. It is clear that the Commissioner’s position has been untenable for quite some time. His lack of tenability was only consolidated with remarks made to the PAC that the actions of whistle-blowers Maurice McCabe and John Wilson had been “disgusting”.
The Commissioner’s resignation should be the first of several steps to rebuild public confidence in An Garda Siochana, the Department of Justice and indeed the legal system. The next step should be the resignation of Justice Minister Alan Shatter. Of course this seems unlikely at the time of writing but it is clear that Shatter and Callinan have been joined at the hip for much of this debacle. Their shared contempt for whistle-blowers has been appalling. Clare Daly put it well today when she spoke of Callinan and Shatter’s relationship and said, “United they stood, united they must fall.”
However resignations will clearly not be enough. In a statement released today, Justice4All, an organisation formed in the interests of victims of Garda malpractice and abuse, called for “the complete overhaul of the legislation covering the operation of the Garda Siochana Ombudsman’s Office and for the introduction of a Policing Board for the appointment of senior Gardai.”
Their calls encapsulate the very heart of the issues that surround An Garda Siochana, namely that it is a police force which has been absolved of the constraints of any meaningful independent oversight and transparency. Until these failings are addressed the issue will remain very much alive and kicking, and clearly today’s revelations will provide more fuel to the fire. Until we have that oversight and transparency we must be sure that the fire does not go out.