Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald clashed over her claims that up to 20 newly attested gardaí would be prevented from taking up their duties because of a lack of Garda vetting.
Ms McDonald said: “My understanding is that up to 20 gardaí from the class graduating next week will be prevented from getting on to the streets because of this problem.
“That’s gardaí that are trained, qualified and ready to go, stopped from getting to work because the vetting process is not fit for purpose.”
Ms McDonald said this had been confirmed to the Oireachtas Justice Committee by Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan.
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But the Taoiseach told her: “I’m not responding to assertions by you that are not soundly based.”
He said Mr O’Callaghan, who was sitting in the Dáil chamber, “has just said very clearly he didn’t say it at committee”.
On Tuesday, the Minister was before the justice committee, chaired by Sinn Féin justice spokesman Matt Carthy, who questioned him about the issue of garda vetting.
Mr Martin said Ms McDonald was making the claim “as if you had heard it” and that the Opposition spokesman could “exaggerate and spin”.
At the committee, Mr O’Callaghan said about 170 new gardaí are due to join the force following their graduation at the Garda College in Templemore next Friday.
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Mr Carthy said he had been told of one case where vetting had not been completed and asked how many such cases there were.
Mr O’Callaghan said, “I can’t give you the number in terms of how many,” but he added that they had changed the Garda vetting process. No Garda would attest and be a full probationer Garda “until such time as they fully go through the vetting process”.
“Previously we had to wait for the full vetting of a person before they started the course in Templemore. We’re now vetting them in phase one. Then they start the course and the vetting goes on,” Mr O’Callaghan said.
“Sometimes there are issues in terms of vetting if somebody has come from another country. That can create difficulty in terms of providing information.”
When Mr Carthy suggested the number could be up to 20, the Minister said he had no figures.
Ms McDonald on Wednesday said, “It’s frankly unbelievable to me that gardaí who will be graduating next week, will be prevented from starting their work” because “their Garda vetting hasn’t been completed”.
She had highlighted antisocial behaviour in local communities, with open drug dealing on the streets and intimidation by gangs. Communities were “crying out” for more visible policing.
Ms McDonald said the Garda vetting review was established four years ago and had submitted its recommendations to Mr O’Callaghan. “Even though the Minister accepts there’s a problem, he has failed to resolve it,” she said.
Mr Martin said the Government has a policy of very high visibility. New Garda commissioner Justin Kelly has the same view, and the situation “is improving very significantly”.
“In terms of the numbers coming out of Templemore, it’s not true to say that people will not be able to go on to the street straight away,” he said. “The 170 coming out of Templemore next week will be on the streets.”
He acknowledged the anger in communities, but said recruitment is well under way and high-visibility policing does work.
He said there would be an additional 1,000 gardaí this year, while the Garda Reserve has doubled to well over 600.
There were more than 11,000 applicants last year; 94 new gardaí attested in November while 617 new gardaí joined last year. More than 220 trainees started in Templemore in November, the largest intake since 2014.
