REPEATED FRUSTRATION has been voiced by a Clare TD over the lack of progress on an ongoing corruption probe into members of the Limerick Garda Division.
Speaking at Monday’s meeting of the Clare Joint Policing Committee, Cathal Crowe TD (FF) aired his disappointment at the continued suspension of eight Limerick based Gardaí. The suspension has been in place since November 2020 with Deputy Crowe previously equating it to a “witch-trial”.
Meelick native Crowe claimed that sixty Gardaí in Limerick are being investigated about the alleged ‘squaring off’ of fixed charge penalty notices. He felt the probe “encompasses too many people and is harrowing for the families involved”.
Deputy Crowe told Garda Commissioner Drew Harris at an October meeting of the JPC that the ongoing investigation was “tearing lives apart”. This week, he said the matter which has led to morale reaching an all-time low in the force should have been discussed in-depth before the Commissioner’s tenure was extended for two years by Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee (FG).
Referring to Commissioner Harris’ attendance at the JPC meeting, Deputy Crowe commented, “The Limerick Garda Division covers 6,000 to 7,000 people in the people of Clare but nothing has progressed since that day and I think that is wrong”.
