Gardaí call for abolition of OPW

RANK-AND-file gardaí have urged the Government to abolish the Office of Public Works, saying its works on Garda stations have proven “an unmitigated disaster”.

Garda Representative Association president Michael O’Boyce said the ineffectiveness of the OPW had left thousands of gardaí in “diabolical working conditions in overcrowded and inappropriate” stations.

He said a quote of €5,000 was submitted by a contractor to refurbish a gym in Letterkenny station, but this rose to €15,000 when the OPW took over the project.

He cited other examples: “€1,100 to replace three bulbs in a Garda station; €4,500 for 10 square yards of linoleum in Churchill Garda station.”

The OPW had failed to future-proof new stations, meaning they were too small from the day they opened. Mr O’Boyce was addressing delegates at the GRA’s annual conference in Killarney, Co Kerry.

Pat O’Sullivan of the GRA central executive committee said €16,500 had been spent by the OPW installing a shower in a 30- year-old PortaKabin in Ballinhassig Garda station in Cork.

Some €9,500 had been spent removing a wall in one station and €36,000 was spent replacing a garage door.

A spokesman for the OPW said it was “surprised and disappointed” by the GRA’s remarks. A statement said the GRA had listed a handful of examples of works carried out by OPW at 700 Garda stations and buildings. In the examples quoted, a lot more work was done at those stations than outlined by the GRA.

GRA delegates yesterday heard calls for the DPP to prosecute more people who made malicious complaints against gardaí. The association said the DPP should explain his decisions when he decided not to pursue such individuals.

Mr O’Boyce said proceedings had got under way against only two members of the public who allegedly fabricated complaints to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission.

He told delegates that the workings of the DPP’s office should become more transparent in providing explanations to victims when those who targeted them were not prosecuted.

“I have seen written files from the DPP’s office [saying] ‘while there is a prima facia case to answer, the cost to the public purse would not warrant a prosecution’. A price cannot be put on justice.”

Mr O’Boyce described as “a mistake” the decision of Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern to appoint former secretary general of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Dermot Gallagher – who is well known to Mr Ahern — as the new chairman of the Garda Ombudsman Commission.

The former chairman, Mr Justice Kevin Haugh, was a High Court judge which meant his post was “beyond reproach”. A judicial figure should have been appointed to succeed him.

GRA general secretary PJ Stone said his association was worried at the high number of complaints being lodged with the commission by members of the public that were being referred for internal investigation to the Garda Síochána.

Mr Stone said the commission had been established as an entity completely independent of the force. Like the Garda Superintendents Association, the GRA was anxious its independence be maintained and that Garda time not be taken up by investigating large numbers of complaints against its own members.

At present, about 50 per cent of all commission cases are referred to the force for internal investigation.