Taoiseach backs Garda Commissioner after lack of clarity from minister

By Cillian Sherlock, PA

The Taoiseach has backed the Garda Commissioner days after the Justice Minister did not take an opportunity to express confidence in the policing chief.

On Tuesday, Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan was asked about his contact with Commissioner Drew Harris over a series of disclosures and developments about how the service deals with matters around guns.

This included the storage of firearms at garda headquarters, defective gun holsters, and garda interactions with a man facing gun charges who later died by suicide.

At a press conference, Mr O’Callaghan said he had confidence that An Garda Síochána was dealing with the matters correctly.

However, he did not explicitly answer in the affirmative after being specifically asked if he had full confidence in Mr Harris.

The minister said: “I’m not the person who’s there to supervise operationally what An Garda Síochána are doing.”

He added: “I ask the Commissioner questions that are of concern to me, he gives me answers in respect to them, that communication is confidential.

“I have no difficulty in telling you the issues I raised with him, obviously what he says back to me is a confidential process.”

His Fianna Fáil party leader and Taoiseach Micheál Martin, however, said the Commissioner had served with “dedication and commitment”.

Asked on Friday if he had confidence in Mr Harris, Mr Martin said: “I have confidence in the Commissioner.

“I think, he has served very diligently over a long number of years.

“His term has come to an end, and the process is on the way for replacement.”

While further pressed as the press conference closed on whether the Justice Minister should apologise, the Taoiseach did not provide a reply.

Mr Harris is due to retire on September 1, after the Cabinet agreed a two-month extension beyond an earlier end date of June 1.