Harris: Garda faults deep-seated

GARDA Commissioner Drew Harris has warned that the faults in the force are so ‘deep-seated’ that there is still a risk of ‘very negative culture breeding very negative behaviours’.

And he fears the malpractice uncovered by Judge Peter Charleton ‘may not be an isolated incident’.

He told the Policing Authority that ‘a serious deficiency’ had been highlighted by the judge’s report, adding: ‘This may not be an isolated incident and it would be foolish to ignore that opinion.’ He also wants to update the code of discipline which is ‘ripe for modernisation’.

The Charleton report, published last month, praised former sergeant Maurice McCabe and found former commissioner Martin Callinan was part of a ‘campaign of calumny’ against the whistleblower.

Mr Harris said he accepted the report in its entirety and that by doing so he had to accept ‘some very critical comments’ levelled at the force.

He commended Mr McCabe, adding the outcome of the report highlighted the ‘importance of speaking up’.

‘Maurice McCabe did a great service in terms of flagging of these issues,’ he said. He added that he wanted a ‘responsive’ policing service, one that was held to account and that people had trust and faith in, and that gardaí had a duty to the public that came ahead of any loyalty to the force.