GRA says ‘serious questions to be asked’ after garda suspended for giving pensioner unclaimed bike

The Irish Mirror previously reported how retired District Court judge Gillian Hussey called for Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to be sacked following the bicycle scandal

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The Garda Representative Association (GRA) has said there are serious questions to be asked about how the discipline and culture of discipline is being applied within An Garda Siochana.

This comes after a garda stationed in the midlands was investigated and suspended for three years after he provided an isolated pensioner with an unclaimed bicycle during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The garda’s home was searched by detectives attached to the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation in 2020, after which he was suspended.

He was only reinstated late last year and confined to restricted duties after the NBCI probe determined he had no criminal case to answer.

However, an internal inquiry into the garda’s actions continues.

Last week, a Garda hearing cleared the officer of all disciplinary charges against him.

The board has 21 days to inform management of its decision and the garda can be formally and fully reinstated.

Now, GRA President Brendan O’Connor, who represents rank and file gardai, said there are serious questions to be asked about how discipline is being applied.

Speaking on RTE’s Morning Ireland, Mr O’Connor said that the length of suspension in that instance is not unusual.

“Unfortunately, it is a very common occurrence. We see it across the organisation, and we have a significant number of members languishing on suspension, some of whom are in the same situation, who have no prosecution against them, have no criminal case to answer and the organisation is very slow to remove this,” said Mr O’Connor.

He said the suspension is subject to renewal every six months but “one of the issues we, as an association, have is the lack of transparency and we believe that that opportunity every six months should be a chance for an input or submission, or to see what is happening. Why is there a delay?”

Mr O’Connor said: “What there has to be is the basic principles of fair procedure, transparency and accountability and ethics – something that our members are expected to underpin their decision-making in everything they do – should be reflected in organisational policy and how we treat our members.”

“We’re not saying the guards shouldn’t be suspended. But whenever the public look at what this guard was suspended for, the circumstances surrounding it, there is serious questions to be asked about how the discipline and the culture of discipline is being applied within the organisation and the effect it’s having and the chill it’s placing between guards and the communities they serve,” he added.

Earlier we reported how retired District Court judge Gillian Hussey called for Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to be sacked following the bicycle scandal.

Judge Hussey, who is a widely respected former member of the criminal bench, said on social media: “The Commissioner is the person who should have been sacked long ago. Very sad for the officer who was suspended for all that time.“