17 June 2005
Green Party says Garda
Commissioner Noel Conroy must resign
Green Party Justice
spokesperson Ciarán Cuffe TD said that, “Commissioner Noel Conroy must
resign. The reputation of the Force has been tarnished and it has happened on
his watch. Five years ago he was Deputy Commissioner but also Acting Garda
Commissioner. He bears significant responsibility for what occurred.”
“In 2000 Commissioner
Conroy was still keeping Frank McBrearty under suspicion, despite the fact that
by that stage many were protesting his innocence. In a report that same year
Conroy stated that the facts and suspicions established in the initial
investigation ‘are largely accurate and have not been rebutted by the
current investigation’.
“In 2000 Conroy continued
to describe Frank McBrearty Senior as
‘a manipulative person…and it is also believed that he tried
to manipulate conduct and direction of the present investigation by other means’.
Finally Conroy failed to take sufficient action taken against rogue
officers instead transferring them to duties elsewhere.” (see information
below)
“There are cracks
appearing in one of our most sacred institutions and the Minister for
Justice’s response has been minimalist and insufficient. Michael McDowell’s
proposal to push the Garda Bill through the Dáil in the next two weeks is a
failure to respond appropriately to the incredibly serious findings of the
Morris tribunal.”
“The Green Party is calling
for the Garda Bill to be withdrawn. We need a Bill that makes radical changes in
the recruitment, training, conduct and discipline of the force. The essential
aspects to be included in a new Bill are the following;
1 A single Ombudsman should
be provided
2 The Ombudsman’s staff
should not be drawn from the ranks of the Gardaí
3 The Ombudsman must be given
the power of inspection of any Garda Station without notice.”
“Finally,
Justice Morris must be thanked for his work. He is owed an enormous debt of
gratitude for his work on behalf of the Irish people,” concluded deputy Cuffe.
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CiaranCuffe.com