The head of the Garda Inspectorate Kathleen O'Toole has been properly critical of inadequate training and equipment for members of the Garda Síochána who may be required to deal with dangerous siege situations involving firearms. And her recommendations, based on a four-year-long investigation by the Barr tribunal into the shooting of the late John Carthy at Abbeylara in April, 2000, should be implemented as a matter of urgency.
Reform can be hard to sell. That is especially true in rigidly structured organisations, such as the Garda Síochána, where pecking orders and cumbersome chains of command inhibit change. New management structures are being put in place on the advice both of Ms O'Toole and of a specialist group led by Senator Maurice Hayes. And more power is being devolved to regional officers. In spite of that, much remains to be done to improve the effectiveness and morale of the force.
At a time when public confidence in the professionalism and integrity of the Garda Síochána has been dented by the findings of the Morris tribunal in Donegal and by the Barr report, it is vital that steps are taken to shore up morale. A prompt and transparent response by the Garda when a member of the force is involved in a fatal accident - as happened last weekend - would also help. Anything less leads to public unease and suspicion. Indeed the apparent willingness of the public to assume the worst should deliver a salutary message to gardaí.
Given her policing background in the United States where she campaigned for more and better resources, it comes as no surprise that Ms O'Toole has supported the Garda in many of her recommendations. She emphasised the urgent need for a new, secure radio system and the supply of bullet-proof and stab-proof vests to all members of the force. She suggested that rank and file members should be trained in the use of lethal and non-lethal weapons because they were usually first at the scene and could contain a situation pending the arrival of the Emergency Response Unit (ERU). As for the specialised ERU, she reported that members were unable to meet their weekly training commitments because of operational demands and were no longer provided with a tactical training centre.
Embarrassing the Department of Justice, or the Minister, Michael McDowell, would be a small price to pay if the Inspectorate gains the confidence of rank and file Garda members in return. And a positive response by the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors to the report would suggest progress is being made in that regard. Ms O'Toole has consistently emphasised the importance of the officers on the beat and the difficulties they face. This report makes their safety a priority. It goes further by rejecting the advice of Mr Justice Barr and recommending instead that gardaí should have complete charge of all siege situations involving weapons and should control any input from mental health professionals or family members into subsequent negotiations.