Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 15 May 2001

Vol. 536 No. 2

Written Answers - Garda Misconduct.

Alan Shatter

Question:

400 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of complaints relating to Garda misconduct which have in each of the past four years been drawn to his attention; the number which have resulted in an investigation by a senior member of the Garda Síochána and which have resulted in an investigation file being submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions and which have resulted in a prosecution being undertaken; the number which are awaiting a decision; the number which have resulted in the Director of Public Prosecutions deciding no prosecution was appropriate; and the date when the alleged misconduct was first brought to his attention as Minister in each case. [13962/01]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

The Deputy will be aware that under the Garda Síochána Complaints Act, 1986, the Garda Síochána Complaints Board has an independent role in the supervision of Garda investigations into complaints by members of the public against members of the force. I have no role in this function. Any person writing to my Department to complain about the conduct of members of the force is advised to contact the board or the Garda authorities in the matter. Records in my Department are not maintained in such a way as to enable the information sought by the Deputy to be readily extracted from individual files. This could be done only by the expenditure of a disproportionate amount of scarce staff resources.

The annual report of the Garda Síochána Complaints Board contains, inter alia, information on the numbers of complaints received in any year. Over the past four years the number of complaints which have resulted in an investigation file being submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions and which have resulted in a prosecution being undertaken is as follows:

During the year 1997 (from 1 May)	Seven (7)
During the year 1998	Four (4)
During the year 1999	Two (2)
During the year 2000	Three (3)
During the year 2001 (until end of April)	Nil

Number of Complaints awaiting the decision of the DPP

During the year 1997 (from 1 May)	Nil
During the year 1998	Nil
During the year 1999	One (1)
During the year 2000	One (1)
During the year 2001 (until end of April)	One (1)

Number where the DPP decided that no prosecution was appropriate

During the year 1997 (from 1 May)	Two (2)
During the year 1998	Six (6)
During the year 1999	Five (5)
During the year 2000	Four (4)
During the year 2001 (until end of April)	Two (2)