GARDA COMMISSIONER Fachtna Murphy has confirmed a small number of gardaí are being investigated for allegedly assisting organised gangs, and said any Garda member found guilty would be immediately dealt with.
Mr Murphy said many organisations had rogue elements, but insisted these would not be tolerated within the Garda force.
“In an organisation the size of An Garda Síochána, with 14,600 members, there will always be issues. But we will deal firmly with those issues. And we also have the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission to deal with them.”
Mr Murphy was replying to media questions at the Garda College, Templemore, Co Tipperary, about two cases in Dublin in which two members of the force are alleged to have passed information to organised crime gangs.
One of the gangs, one of the biggest in the State, operates in north and west Dublin, where it controls a very large and lucrative drugs patch. It is suspected of a number of gangland murders and a string of armed robberies.
It is alleged that information about the Garda investigation of the gang was passed to it by a member of the force who is now under investigation. A second, unrelated investigation is being conducted elsewhere in the city.
Mr Murphy did not comment on the cases in detail but confirmed “a recent issue” had arisen. He said it was being investigated by gardaí and by the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission.
“The values I stand for are honesty, accountability, respect and professionalism. That’s what I want out of the members of An Garda Síochána. Anybody who steps outside those values will be dealt with.”
Mr Murphy and Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern said they did not believe dissatisfaction in the Garda Representative Association (GRA) and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) over mooted pay cuts would result in Blue Flu-style industrial action. The phrase “Blue Flu” was coined in 1997 when most gardaí rang in sick on the same day as part of a row over pay.
Mr Ahern said the issue of “industrial strife” was of concern in the context of the Government’s planned corrective economic measures in the forthcoming budget.
However, he said the Garda had a “great reputation” among the public and he did not believe they would do anything to tarnish that.
“They understand that the type of Blue Flu that happened previously did cause certain upturn or backlash from the people. So I think they would have to be very careful.” Mr Ahern said he had no indication the Garda associations were planning to encourage members into unlawful actions. All members of the force swear an oath to serve the country, meaning they are banned from striking.
In recent weeks, Minister for Defence Willie O’Dea told PDforra, the group representing some Defence Forces personnel, that the ban on taking industrial action precluded it from being involved in the 24-7 Frontline Alliance. PDforra was told to withdraw from the alliance, and did so.
When asked yesterday why he had not told AGSI and the GRA to leave the alliance, Mr Ahern said he had no issue with the groups engaging in lawful protests, and that he was not privy as to why Mr O’Dea insisted PDforra withdraw.