O'HIGGINS: GRA statement to the findings of the O'Higgins Commission

This afternoon the O'Higgins commission into the conduct of garda at Baileiborough was finally released by the Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald. Until now, the local Garda Representative Association could not issue any statment. Below is their statement into the report which found no corruption, nor criminality at Bailieborough. The commission came on foot of allegations made by Mountnugent man and Garda Sgt Maurice McCabe over matters in 2007 and 2008.

GRA statement regarind the findings of the O'Higgins Commission report into Bailieborough Garda District:

'As we have always been confident, the Commission finds there was no Garda corruption or criminal misconduct in the Bailieboro District as originally alleged.

'The Garda Representative Association (GRA) has always insisted that any failings or weak performance were entirely the result of inexperienced, junior Gardaí operating without guidance from supervisory ranks. Judge O’Higgins highlights examples throughout his report: 

 “It is probable that many of the matters that are criticised by this commission would not have occurred or would have been rectified at an early stage if there had been an Inspector in Bailieboro during the period with which the commission is concerned.”

'The Chief Superintendent in the Cavan/Monaghan Division had made a business case for the role and requirement of an Inspector as far back as November 2005.

A spokesman said, “We believe that the Guerin Report should not have been made public; the discipline regulations were exhausted in relevant cases at the time of the original events, some up to eight years ago, and so this whole process has been detrimental to those of Garda rank. The discipline regulations in Cavan/Monaghan were often utilised as a means of aversion training – instead of supervisory guidance.

“In short, too many partially trained Gardaí were tasked with the investigation and prosecution of crime normally tasked to experienced detectives.”

'The GRA contends the report provides evidence of ‘corporate failure’; one of the conclusions reached in the Byrne/McGinn disciplinary investigation. From the overall results it has become apparent that, in hindsight, the Guerin Report should never have been made public and those members subjected to the allegations need never have suffered so publicly with the media use of pejorative terms that gained traction with the public; both nationally and especially in the Cavan/Monaghan Garda division.

'This report vindicates that such failures of policing were attributable to a combination of inexperience and lack of supervision, and organisation failure to identify such deficiencies. The conclusions of the O’Higgins report point to a failure of Garda management to identify that inexperienced Gardaí were neglected of the supervision they were entitled to – and as a result the public were subjected to corporate failure.'