Detective Garda Eamonn Cunnane took to the podium with seven gardaí from Limerick and Clare who were suspended for almost six years as part of a separate probe into penalty points there
Detective Garda Eamonn Cunnane took to the podium with seven gardaí from Limerick and Clare who were suspended for almost six years as part of a separate probe into penalty points there. They were subsequently cleared.
Detective Garda Eamonn Cunnane
Det Garda Cunnane stood behind colleague Garda Michael Ryan – his GRA rep – who told delegates just how distressing his ordeal that started in 2020.
He was suspended and then subject to a criminal investigation by the gardaí’s National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI) for lending an aged neighbour an unclaimed bicycle that was being stored at the rear of a Garda station during the Covid lockdowns.
The story was first broken by the Sunday Independent.
Gardaí at the conference agreed with an urgent motion that the current suspension policy is not fair and equitable and voted unanimously this morning for the Garda Commissioner to implement a fully independent appeals process for suspended members.
The conference in Westport, Co Mayo, heard on Monday that a garda’s address and the school his children attend were posted online by elements involved in last week’s fuel blockades.
Gardaí Eamon Cunnane, Niall Deegan, John Shanahan, Peter O’Donnell, Colm Geary, Paul Baynham, Alan Griffin and Tom McGlinchey at the GRA conference
Today’s News in 90 Seconds, Tuesday April 21
The garda involved was policing the blockade on the Whitegate oil refinery in east Cork but is based in Waterford, the conference heard.
The GRA’s general secretary Ronan Slevin said members in the South East were identified online, “identified who they were, where they were stationed, where they’re living, where their kids go to school. You can’t get much more detailed than that”.
“It happened on repeated days over the protest and the week after.
“It’s very hard to have confidence in your policing when you realise any actions you take in line with ensuring the safety of the public and the State, that your family are going to be threatened, your children identified,” Garda Slevin said.
Gda Slevin said the GRA would welcome the Garda Commissioner’s support in pursuing these individuals who threaten gardaí and bring prosecutions against them through the courts.
Detective Garda Niall Hodgins, GRA Vice-President, called for stronger laws to protect gardaí from doxing.
Garda Niall Hodgins speaking at the GRA conference in Westport. Photo: Conor O’Mearain.
People are using online tools to attack gardaí “for their own self-indulgent views”, Det Gda Hodgins said.
“The identities of our members are outed online and circulated. They go viral. But it goes further than that. It goes to identifying members’ private stuff with regards to their families, where they may live. And indeed, it goes as far as to identify who their children may be.
“To target any public servant in this manner is completely outrageous. And we need tools to deal with this phenomenon. Media manipulation has gone on for many, many years. And we would feel that our legislators may be behind in this particular area.”
The arrest of Daniel Kinahan in Dubai last week was also discussed at the conference.
Det Gda Hodgins became emotional as he discussed Kinahan’s arrest, and the fact the senior officer who investigated him did not live to see him arrested.
“I think it’s poignant at this stage that you recognise that you recognise the efforts of Assistant Commissioner John O’Driscoll in respect of this matter,” Det Gda Hodgins said.
“He was a fantastic policeman and it’s such a shame that he wasn’t here to witness what happened last week.”
Det Gda Hodgins said officers who policed the bloody Kinahan-Hutch feud, which claimed 18 lives, are now recovering after years of fear and bloodshed.
“I want to commend the Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly and his team in this particular matter. But in respect of the members that I represent in respect of this feud for near on a decade there now, clearly they take away from them a sense of pride,” Det Gda Hodgins said.
“We came through a very difficult period in the guards over the last number of years. In fact, I would say we’re in a state at the moment of repair, which is a recovery from a state of absolute despair in Dublin’s north inner city.
“We have hope, we look forward to what the new Garda Commissioner is going to bring and we will enjoy engaging with him.”
The issue of what the GRA describe as “unfair” suspensions is expected to be a major talking point in the days ahead.