THE GARDA Bureau of Fraud Investigation is “stretched to the limit” and struggling to cope with the upsurge in white-collar crime, the president of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors has said.
Garda Insp Aidan O’Donnell told the association’s annual conference in Limerick last night that the feedback from members attending the event was that the fraud investigation unit was underresourced. Its members “simply do not have the time” to give white-collar crime the priority it deserved.
He said investigations such as that into Anglo Irish Bank were technical and complex, and that gardaí had the benefit of outside expertise such as legal advisers and accountants, but this was insufficient.
A motion before the conference, which will be voted on tomorrow, calls on Garda management to prioritise the investigation of white-collar crime and to provide more outside support.
Delegates are also expected to vote on a motion that would see a computer fraud unit established at divisional or regional level.
Garda Insp O’Donnell condemned Bank of Ireland’s failure to disclose bonuses of nearly €1 million it paid to two executives. “Are we seriously to believe that Bank of Ireland inadvertently overlooked two single bonus payments totalling nearly €1 million?” He criticised the “greed and arrogance” of the banks, which had been guaranteed by the State but which were now repaying taxpayers by increasing mortgage rates.
Mr O’Donnell was applauded when he said the banks should not be allowed to pay bonuses in any case. He said his own members would be subject to severe disciplinary action if they had similarly misled the State as Bank of Ireland appeared to have done.
Sligo-Leitrim delegate Garda Sgt Mary Finnegan said investigations such as those into Anglo Irish were taking so long because there were not “half enough resources”.
She admitted that the force’s record on fraudulent crime was “non-existent” as a result of a shortage of manpower in technology and training.
Pay is likely to dominate the first full day of the conference this morning.
National executive member Garda Sgt Brian O’Dea said some 120 members of An Garda Síochána had no money left over in their pay packets in January after deductions were taken for mortgage payments and other bills.
He said members were left with a “negative cheque” as a result of the universal social charge and other payments brought in by the last budget. These same members were in positive territory in 2010, but had to get loans to survive after the January pay-cuts.
However, a motion from the Tipperary branch that would see gardaí allowed to do “nixers” may not even make it to the floor.
The motion calls on the Garda Commissioner and the Government to remove the long-standing Garda code 10.24 which prohibits members of the force from taking part in licensed activities such as providing security and taxi-driving.
Garda Sgt Willie Gleeson, also on the executive, said the motion was understandable, given the pressure on pay. However, the executive would not support it.
“We feel, unfortunately, that there has to be some level of prohibition when it comes to spare-time activities.”
He believed gardaí enjoyed a high level of public support which might diminish if they were involved in such activities.
“We live and work and enjoy social life in sporting activities in our communities. We would not like to see anything that would increase any problem for our members in that area.”
Another issue likely to be raised is the monitoring of sex offenders. Members believe the present system, where sex offenders have to sign on at Garda stations and give their name and address, is not sufficient. A motion calls for them to have to give fingerprints, a photograph and a DNA sample.