Sir, – The Minister for Justice has in recent times been criticised for the public use of personal information provided to him during a briefing by the Garda Commissioner. The criticism has been directed at this particular action by the current Minister with little or no attention being paid to any of the underlying structural issues.
Before independence, the RIC reported directly to the chief secretary who (as the relevant Cabinet Minister) was answerable to Parliament for Irish policing matters. Following independence, although a new police force was established, the previous reporting relationship was, and has been, continued until the present day with the Garda authorities reporting directly to the Minister for Justice. The assumption seems to have been that, once the structures were staffed by Irish people, all would be well. As the present controversy demonstrates (again), it’s far from clear that this assumption is well founded. While arguably in the earlier more troubled years of the State, a close relationship between Garda authorities and government may have been appropriate, in present times – when key aspects of our past are being re-evaluated with a new confidence – a more differentiated relationship could be considered . . . one which accords greater acknowledgment to An Garda Síochána as a community police service and somewhat less as an arm of government.
Perhaps, when the present controversy has subsided, some time and energy could be devoted to undertaking such a review of appropriate structures. – Yours, etc,
IAN WOODS,
Castle Grove,
Swords, Co Dublin.
Sir, – As a doctor, I find the idea that Minister for Justice Alan Shatter was unable to do a breathalyser test because of being asthmatic very dubious, at best. As a citizen, I am appalled that our Taoiseach has no problem with the Minister for Justice using confidential Garda briefings to score points over political opponents. As a voter, I realise there is one way to make sure that this Government is held accountable for the sort of arrogance that it was meant to be replacing. – Yours, etc,
SEAN HOGAN,
Fisherman’s Grove,
Dunmore East,
Co Waterford.
Sir, – Further to The Irish Times cartoonist Martyn Turner’s excellent (as usual) satire on political integrity (Front page, May 29th).
The tragedy for yet another generation is that what is said when in Opposition, is merely verbiage to heat the air in the Dáil chamber.
Small wonder the only moral matter discussed for the past 30 years is the right of the church to compel the State to deny the rights of Irish women to their own bodies.
It would seem that Ministerial accountability, like financial responsibility, is for the little people. – Yours, etc,
DECLAN FOLEY,
Samuel Close, Berwick,
Victoria, Australia.