Criticism of O’Sullivan over plan for five-week holiday while crises grow

TDs have criticised Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan’s decision to go on holiday amid the ongoing crises engulfing the force.

On the same day the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) published a damning report on the handling of concerns over serious financial irregularities at Templemore Training College, it emerged Ms O’Sullivan is to take the five-week break.

A major report into how almost a million bogus breath tests were recorded is also due while Ms O’Sullivan is on leave.

Fianna Fáil TD Marc MacSharry described Ms O’Sullivan’s decision to take the holiday now as “incredible” given what he argued is a “damning indictment” of Garda management in the PAC’s Templemore report.

Mr MacSharry (below) listed the fallout over the Training College, the ongoing Disclosures Tribunal, and the soonto-be published report on bogus breath tests as issues arising during Ms O’Sullivan’s absence.

He said everyone was “entitled to a vacation” but asked “would Pádraig Pearse have headed off a few days before Easter week?... I don’t think so.” Labour TD Alan Kelly said: “It is concerning that the Commissioner will be away when these reports are due to come out and even more worrying that the Department of Justice actually sanctioned this.” Labour leader Brendan Howlin said Ms O’Sullivan’s decision was “strange and probably not best advised”. He referred to the PAC report on Templemore and said there’s a focus on policing and its administration at the moment. “The optics of it [the break] certainly at a time when An Garda Síochána is under enormous scrutiny are not good.”

Fine Gael TD Alan Farrell – another PAC member – defended Ms O’Sullivan. “I’m sure she works more hours than I do and I do a 70-hour week most weeks,” he said.

He argued there were matters raised by the PAC report that were being dealt with by other statutory agencies, which meant they were issues she could not answer questions on at this time.

He also referred to calls by Opposition PAC members for Ms O’Sullivan to resign, saying her tenure has “now become a political football” and he believes committee members should focus on examining how State agencies spend public money.

Ms O’Sullivan is not expected

to issue a public response to the Templemore report during her holiday.

Despite the controversy, Ms O’Sullivan is determined to press ahead with the break which was flagged with the Department of Justice before she had knowledge the PAC would be issuing its update.

“Previous commissioners have traditionally taken August off because it’s a quiet time with the Dáil being off,” a source said.

They noted that Ms O’Sullivan would be in regular contact with Garda HQ and was appointing a deputy commissioner to take charge in the Phoenix Park.

The source said the Commissioner’s absence would not impact on the publication of the analysis into the breath-tests scandal. A Garda spokesman said they did not comment on the Commissioner’s annual leave.

A Policing Authority spokesman said Deputy Commissioner Dónall Ó Cualáin would be performing the functions of the Commissioner until the end of July. This includes attending the Authority’s next meeting on July 27, when the PAC report on Templemore is due to be discussed.

A Department of Justice spokesman said: “The Commissioner notified the department earlier this year of her intention to take leave”.

He said Minister Charlie Flanagan and the Commissioner “maintain regular contact on security and policing”.