Garda Commissioner voices fear of wider ‘falsification’ of data

Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan is to tell TDs she fears the falsification of data goes beyond traffic.

Ms O'Sullivan is to appear before the Oireachtas Committee on Justice Thursday to answer questions on the wrongful convictions of 14,700 people and the exaggeration of breathalyser tests.

The Commissioner will apologise “ for the grave mistakes and wrongdoing during the last decade” that have led to the two controversies.

In a statement provided to the committee, she says: “Those mistakes and wrongdoings are unacceptable in policing terms, unacceptable in ethical terms, unacceptable in terms of public trust, and, most critically, unacceptable to the advocacy and support groups involved in road safety and to those who were wrongly brought to court.

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“They have raised serious issues about how we managed the service, how certain gardaí operated on the ground and their supervision.

“Given the scale of these issues, they can’t simply be blamed on one individual or one area. It is a collective failure. From top down to bottom up.”

The Commissioner will stress the need for procedures to put in place to ensure this does not happen again.

Ms O’Sullivan will confirm a dedicated team will be established to address the wrongful convictions of people.

Letters will be sent to each individual affected and a helpline will be created.

On the issue of the breathlyser tests, Ms O’Sullivan will say an anonymous complaint was made in 2014 claiming this hindered their ability to investigate the matter fully.

She will tell members an instruction to Deputy Commissioner Operations was issued immediately after.

The Commissioner will tell the committee all regional Assistant Commissioners, Chief Superintendents and Superintendents were told to ensure effective mechanisms were in place to monitor the operation of checkpoints.

The statement adds: “However, the fact is that we now know some gardaí recorded numbers that were false. At worst, this was deception. At best, this was incompetence. Either way, it was individually and organisationally shameful, and will be seen to be shameful by the public and the thousands of gardaí around the country who operate every day to the highest ethical standards.

“It also raises serious questions of supervision and management.

“My fear - and my real fear - is that this falsification is not confined to traffic data. And I will ensure that the people responsible at all levels will be held to account.”