Chair of commission tasked with reforming Gardaí concerned by Templemore report
The chair of the commission tasked with reforming the Gardaí has said she is concerned by a report into the Templemore garda college,
The PAC report published yesterday raised many questions and found serious financial irregularities at the training college
Asked about the PAC report Kathleen O’Toole said: "I think it’s very important that we follow investigations and tribunals of the past and the present but we are really focusing on the future.
"I have read the headlines and of course I am concerned like everyone else."
She wouldn’t be drawn on the fact that the Garda Commissioner is currently on holidays for five weeks.
"I would defer to garda management and the Garda Commissioner to answer that question.
"Everyone wants to draw me into the discussion about the Commissioner but it’s clear that our work is not to conduct a performance evaluation.
"I am focusing on what the next Garda leadership team and management team needs to look like and what qualifications do they need to have, what training and professional development do they need to have, how do you organise a team and prepare a team to assume positions of that that significance so that things like that don’t happen again."
She said that many gardaí come up through the ranks without being prepared for management roles.
"A management team will be required that has the combined skills and experience to pull it off."
Speaking to reporters at the MacGill Summer School in Glenties this afternoon she said: "I know that there are several recommendations already on the table.
"There are hundreds of recommendations outstanding that could be implemented in the coming weeks and months to address many of the shortcomings that have been identified."
