A lack of resources is posing a “challenge” for the investigation and successful prosecution of corruption cases in Ireland, a report by the European Commission has said.
The number of specialist gardaí available to carry out criminal inquiries into suspected corruption was deemed “insufficient” at present, the Garda told EU officials. The commission, the executive arm of the EU, said shortages of gardaí and other staff in anti-corruption units meant complex investigations could not be completed swiftly.
The number of forensic accountants needed to be “significantly increased” to make up the current shortfall in expertise, the commission report said. “The lack of resources and specialisation remains a challenge in investigating and prosecuting corruption cases,” it said. The report from the commission, published on Wednesday, examined anti-corruption efforts and the rule-of-law in all 27 EU countries.
The number of personnel working in the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) remained below planned numbers. Some 60 gardaí had been successful in a recruitment competition aimed at increasing its headcount last year, but the report noted only five had since been posted to take up roles in the specialist bureau.
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Funding to hire an extra five forensic accountants had been provided, but the commission report said this was considered “insufficient” by Garda. EU officials noted the total number of gardaí assigned to investigate corruption offences had decreased since 2022.
At the moment there was one sergeant and four gardaí working in a dedicated anti-bribery and corruption unit in the GNECB. “This allocation is considered insufficient by the police to conduct complex investigations in a timely manner,” the commission report said.
When it came to media freedom, the report said a lack of safeguards to prevent journalists being strategically targeted by threats of legal action continued to create a “chilling effect” on investigative journalism and reporting.
The report said Ireland had made “significant progress” reforming its defamation regime, which is among the strictest in the European Union. The commission pushed the Government to follow through on planned legislation overhauling defamation law.
It also recommended that Ireland work to reduce the costs borne by people taking legal cases in the courts. The report noted the average length of time it took for a civil proceedings to conclude after first being lodged in the High Court was 871 days, which was 74 days longer than three years ago.
Ireland needed to strengthen ethics rules covering politics and give the current watchdog, the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo), more teeth, it said.
The report also referenced the financial and governance crisis that has consumed RTÉ over the last year. It said the Government should put in place a funding system for the broadcaster that was “appropriate” to allow it fulfil its public service role while “guaranteeing its independence”.
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