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Gardai duty to public ranks higher than force loyalty

Justice minister Charlie Flanagan said in the Dáil yesterday that he was “greatly taken” with the set of obligations of gardaí set out towards the end of the Charleton report.

These are:

• To take pride in their work and their uniform
• To always be honest
• To be visible
• To be polite
• To serve the people of Ireland
• To treat the obligation to the public as superior to any false sense that Gardaí should stick up for each other
• And finally the obligation of self-analysis

“These are simple values - doing the right thing, being honest and decent – but they are fundamental,” he said.

“These are the standards that we should all observe, as public servants, as members of this House, indeed as human beings, and they are certainly what the public has a right to expect of An Garda Síochána at all levels,” he said.

The Third Interim Report of the Disclosures Tribunal was debated in the Dáil on 17 October. The minister said its conclusions made for “disturbing reading”.

“Some members of An Garda Síochána are revealed by the Tribunal to have behaved reprehensively,” he said.

The minister said there are lessons for all public bodies, including the media, in the report.

Central tenet

“A central tenet for all of us is that we must learn how to deal more effectively in facing up to and determining the truth of allegations while not making the mistake of treating these as given facts in all circumstances.

“And above all, we must as a society respond appropriately to those who speak up to highlight a wrong. 

Lessons

“For my part, I am determined that these lessons must be, and will be, learned and applied,” he said.

The State has issued an apology to Sergeant Maurice McCabe for his treatment which the minister said was accepted graciously.