Barr Report
Catch the day's news over at RTÉ. With the publication of this report into the Abbeylara killing of John Carty - and the continuing shocking revelations from Donegal, with much worse supposedly to come in the Morris Tribunal - the time has come for long-overdue reform of certain powerful sections of the Gardaí. This is a task which Phoenix magazine has recently been claiming McDowell is maneuvering to accomplish with a raft of senior promotions outside of the usual Special Branch gang. We'll see in the next year if McDowell can manage to pull this off, and reverse his image as a blusterer.
Specifically on the ERU, today's report comes as what may be the last straw in a unit history littered with disasters by Dirty Harry-types who have persistently proven to be a danger to the public, to colleagues and to themselves. Certainly within the Defence Forces (long saddled with the unwelcome task of trying to train this bunch) they've been the subject of strong criticism, along with some very dark rumours about past cock-ups which never came to public light. The government taking them firmly in hand cannot come soon enough, if indeed it does occur with this opportunity.
Specifically on the ERU, today's report comes as what may be the last straw in a unit history littered with disasters by Dirty Harry-types who have persistently proven to be a danger to the public, to colleagues and to themselves. Certainly within the Defence Forces (long saddled with the unwelcome task of trying to train this bunch) they've been the subject of strong criticism, along with some very dark rumours about past cock-ups which never came to public light. The government taking them firmly in hand cannot come soon enough, if indeed it does occur with this opportunity.
| Permalink 
|
