A policing crisis at the heart of the Irish justice system

A fresh scandal involving the Garda Siochána and the recording of private telephone conversations made the departure of Commissioner Martin Callinan inevitable. It was a sad end to a long career. It prompted the Government to announce a special Commission of Investigation. It also agreed to a reforming programme involving garda oversight structures and accountability, while leaving Minister for Justice Alan Shatter in charge.

Change, which Mr Callinan would probably have resisted, involved compromise between Government parties. But public support for this new regime will be affected by Mr Shatter's willingness to express regret for his treatment of garda whistleblowers during tomorrow's Dáil debate on penalty points. Calls for his resignation, or sacking, came yesterday from Micheál Martin and Gerry Adams. A little humility would be timely. At the very least, he needs to correct the record of the Dáil.

The need for extensive reform of policing structures and practices cannot be ignored. Arrangements made arising from the Morris tribunal were seriously flawed. Garda abuses of the penalty points system were ignored, denied and covered up, in spite of official reports. The attitude of Commissioner Callinan to members who refused to stay silent was encapsulated in the word "disgusting". His response to the Smithwick report concerning Garda culture was excessively defensive. His insistence that no surveillance, authorised or otherwise, had taken place at the headquarters of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission made him look foolish.

But publication of the Garda Inspectorate’s report into the penalty points system dealt him a crippling blow. Effectively vindicating the whistleblowers, it recommended extensive reforms and confronted him with the prospect of publicly exonerating Sergeant Maurice McCabe. Even more damning, the report found that “no consistent quality management existed, at any level, which would have detected and rectified problems”. That verdict would force the chief executive of a private company to resign. It didn’t happen. But, when the Attorney General flagged a fresh scandal at the weekend, involving improper garda recording of conversations, Mr Callinan had no other option.

The Taoiseach kept faith with his Justice Minister and offered support to the Garda Commissioner in the past – a stance that has damaged the standing of the Government . That was understandable in a fluid situation. But priorities have changed with new disclosures giving rise to grave concerns. The Department of Justice has serious questions to answer, as have the Garda. Public confidence in the impartiality, effectiveness and accountability of the Garda Síochána and in its oversight structures , the essential pillars of a robust justice system, must be rebuilt as a matter of urgency.