Garda reform must start with the basics

DRINK driving, as far too many people who have lost loved ones in this country already know, is one of the scourges of modern society. So for Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to raise the prospect of automatic dismissal from the force for any member of An Garda Siochána found guilty of such an offence certainly deserves serious consideration. For the gardaí, after all, are there to uphold the law.

There will be those who will say that, irrespective of your position within the community, everyone deserves a second chance. Equally, however, we cannot ignore the fact that when it comes to alcohol, and particularly to driving while under the influence, everyone knows the rules; nor does anyone accidentally get behind the wheel when they have been drinking. Rather, it is a decision that person chooses to make. In other words, they take a chance and hope that they won’t get caught.

Whatever your view on this matter, this latest initiative only serves to reinforce that Mr Harris is determined to do what he said he would do – sweep a new broom through An Garda Siochána with the express intention of changing the force for the better. And so this latest suggestion of his illustrates perfectly why the appointment of an outsider to the head of the force was the correct decision.

Whatever the merits of this specific proposal, let there be no ambiguity that reform within the Garda is precisely what is required. Why? Because it is absolutely imperative, in terms of trust, that this country’s guardians of the peace are utterly beyond reproach.

In that context, therefore, and with Mr Harris’s can-do attitude, one that is due considerable respect, we are finally moving, it seems, in the right direction.