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Breath test scandal: Rank-and-file gardaí refuse to be 'scapegoated for ill-conceived policies'

The Garda Representative Association hit out at management, claiming the debacle is “entirely of their own making”.

THE BODY REPRESENTING rank-and-file gardaí has said its members will not be “scapegoated for ill-considered policies” that were introduced by management during recessionary times.

In its first public statement on the issue since an internal report revealed a discrepancy of 1.4 million tests over an eight-year period, the Garda Representative Association (GRA) questioned why management required data on the number of negative breath tests at a time when resources were “scarce or diminishing”.

“This data was utilised as a crude measure of productivity – and fed into a culture of competition among senior ranks to improve their promotion chances,” the statement said.

The association went on to say that no one can “categorically say that it was our members falsifying data” and claimed it has numerous examples of supervisors and managers having input into the system.

There was also little or no training; and the recording process was obviously flawed. We have to ask who wanted this data recorded in the first place – and what does it purport to show? Goodhart’s Law states that when a measure becomes a target – it ceases to become a good measure.
During the height of the recession when garda numbers had been significantly reduced, we were told by garda management figures – and propagated by government – that crime figures were falling. We blew the whistle and said that crime figures were being ‘massaged’ downwards – and we were vindicated by the Garda Síochána Inspectorate and latterly the Central Statistics Office.

The statement came following a discussion on the issue by the GRA’s Central Executive Committee today.

It said it is clear in the report that managers do not wish to be blamed for the debacle, adding that it is “entirely of their own making”.

“Their obsession with data collection, for no clear and distinct purpose, while our members were issued with endless directives at a time of under-resourcing, no training, increased workloads and an unclear system of collation was a policy of failure,” the GRA said.

“Our members will not be scapegoated for ill-considered policies – and this should be the focus of political attention. If the people of Ireland have been let down; then it is in the management and deployment of scant resources to appease the need for purposeless data by those in power.”

Read: ‘People saw it as toxic’: Why just seven gardaí made submissions to the breath test probe>

Read: ‘An unending cycle’: These were the scandals the Garda Commissioner faced questions over>

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44 Comments
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    Mute Joseph Dempsey
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    Sep 14th 2017, 3:24 PM

    Scapegoated, are they for real, when is the last time you came across and inspector, superintendent, Chief, assistant or deputy commisoner at a check point. Whilst I’m not doubting rank and file were under pressure for results, it is they who opporated the check points and therefore the absurdity that followed.

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    Mute john Appleseed
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    Sep 14th 2017, 3:30 PM

    @Joseph Dempsey: ask McCabe how it goes for guards who buck the corruption.

    167
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    Mute Gerry Ryan deG
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    Sep 14th 2017, 3:32 PM

    @Joseph Dempsey: I think you’re missing the point. Inflated figures would seem to have been of benefit to the higher ranks & not the members manning the checkpoints.
    If false claims were made on the numbers it might have been ‘encouraged’ in order to advance ‘careers’.
    The ordinary Garda has a job and the ‘career’ is the preserve of the few.

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    Mute MaryLoonyMcDonald
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    Sep 14th 2017, 3:42 PM

    @Gerry Ryan deG: you don’t have to be on a checkpoint to change/alter/manipulate computer records.

    49
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    Mute Michael Geraghty
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    Sep 14th 2017, 3:44 PM

    @Joseph Dempsey: the point is the rank and file garda had no way of inputting the figures. It was all done by management. A garda on the street has zero benefit in saying he did 10 breath tests or 1000. He doesn’t get rewarded any more .

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    Mute Eugene Comaskey
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    Sep 14th 2017, 5:13 PM

    @Joseph Dempsey: yes you are correct about officers not operating Check Points, but there is a great deal of merit in the statement of GRA. Indeed, who did require this data?, what was its purpose. Officers wanted this to surely promote themselves, and they, the Officers were constantly accessing the pulse system and manipulating crime figures to show their own areas in a good light to HQs. Promotion was the main interest, not the public.

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    Mute Joseph Dempsey
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    Sep 14th 2017, 6:07 PM

    @Gerry Ryan deG: no points (excuse the pun) being missed, the kits where issued, presumably used (or tossed away), reports back to divisions, so it’s quite a simple equation to work out, namely what happened at the actual checkpoints or indeed did they ever take place. If one was to work out how many actual Gardai are manning check points as opposed to 1.5 million fake tests, it would mean not a single garda was tasked with any other chore. It’s a farce, plain a simple and to pass the book, just amusing at this stage

    17
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    Mute Barry Ryan
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    Sep 14th 2017, 6:56 PM

    @Joseph Dempsey: recording negative breath tests is just plain stupid! A stupid job will be treated stupidly. Don’t know any other police force in the world that records negative tests.

    Stupid stupid stupid !

    19
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    Mute Willie Murphy
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    Sep 14th 2017, 3:29 PM

    I’ll give you the training you need… You catch someone drink driving, you record it.
    You don’t catch someone for drink driving, you don’t record it… lesson over.
    Also, whoever thought that working to targets would be a good idea, should be falsely accused of drinking driving & jailed.

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    Mute Mick Murphy
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    Sep 14th 2017, 4:52 PM

    @Willie Murphy: Willie it wasn’t the recording of drunk drivers that was manipulated. It was the recording of negative breath tests carried out on the side of the road.

    42
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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello.
    Favourite Neal Ireland Hello.
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    Sep 14th 2017, 5:30 PM

    @Piarais Mac Maoláin: There’s nothing more infuriating than not being sure who to be furious at.

    12
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    Mute Jimmy Ireland
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    Sep 14th 2017, 3:25 PM

    All to blame from top to bottom for sure. But you have to wonder why rank and file felt the need to over report these. They gain nothing – negative tests are a meaningless figure after all – but yet they felt either pressured or dutied to do so. Yet more scrutiny on the rank and file to follow with little or no accountability on those in the middle and top.

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    Mute The_Prince_of_Fire
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    Sep 14th 2017, 3:48 PM

    @Jimmy Ireland: It’s laughable to suggest a relatively small number of garda superintendants sat there all day falsifying these reports, which is what it would have taken.
    On one hand they appear to be saying what their “clients” have told them over the years, “you can’t prove any of this”. On the other they appear to be covering their backs, presumably in case someone can prove it, blaming the government who used these figures, among others, as a means of productivity in the senior ranks of the gardai. It’s implied that they in turn put pressure on the lower ranks to “make the figures look good” thereby improving the bosses promotion prospects. But it wasn’t the ordinary garda on the street, nope. Never.

    41
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    Mute Peter Higgins
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    Sep 14th 2017, 5:51 PM

    @The_Prince_of_Fire: OH yes it was !

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    Mute Hans Vos
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    Sep 14th 2017, 6:58 PM

    @The_Prince_of_Fire: I expect that both the lower as well the higher range are to blame. The lower range to make their bosses happy and the higher range to make their promotion possibilities bigger.

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    Mute john Appleseed
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    Sep 14th 2017, 3:27 PM

    This is systemic fraud and the blame lies squarely on Noirin’s shoulders. Fired not retired.

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    Mute Stan
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    Sep 14th 2017, 3:43 PM

    It’s corrupt top to bottom. After all they kept their mouths shut when the whistleblowers came forward. The rank and files silence was the gift to help the top guy call the whistleblowers “disgusting” and discredit the whistleblowers in the public’s eyes.

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    Mute Chemical Brothers
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    Sep 14th 2017, 4:57 PM

    Their obsession with data collection, for no clear and distinct purpose, while our members were issued with endless directives at a time of under-resourcing, no training, increased workloads and an unclear system of collation was a policy of failure,” the GRA said.

    The clear and distinct purpose for the obsession with data collection was very clear. It was to be used to make Garda management look good while the service being delivered fell apart through lack of resources, lack of discipline & bad management

    41
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    Mute Liam Geary
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    Sep 14th 2017, 4:57 PM

    Each breath test taken uses ONE mouthpiece- which has to be replaced??Did anyone notice if we used 1000 ( according to CSO statistics) and only reordered 10 to replace used ones…the figures didn’t add up?
    Also Traffic Core were out ‘testing’ each holiday week end? But yet – like the abominable snowman- no one saw them… this was going on for years…. maybe they spent the time ‘manufacturing ‘ figures.??
    But sure that can’t be right, they received NO TRAINING- how to add one and one….I’m lost….

    40
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    Mute P.J. Dalton
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    Sep 14th 2017, 4:33 PM

    Scapegoats, ffs, not surprised, they’re corrupt from rank and file right up to the commissioner and corrupt people will always try and shift the blame (or run away and resign), the system is a bad one, but no one forced them to falsify breath tests, they chose to lie to get ahead in their jobs, now they’ve been caught out, simple as, they should be disciplined accordingly, regardless of their sob stories

    55
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    Mute John Scott
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    Sep 14th 2017, 3:26 PM

    Every station has a Sargent , District has an inspector now what were all these lines of managers doing . This is wher the book should stop not our Garda on the floor . These were lead by example .

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    Mute Stan
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    Sep 14th 2017, 3:52 PM

    The Garda in the pic has no tie. Very unusual as we have the squarest looking police in the first world. All over Europe America Australia etc you see police with no ties, beards, tattoos,black earrings etc. Here you are ruled out if you have a beard tattoo etc and so drives a wedge between the public and police as if there wasn’t enough gap already. All those UK police,999 docs you see police no ties beards & tattoos, even PSNI encourage individuality but here you are considered unsuitable for having non robot look, by the world’s snobbiest attitude to what a police officers appearance should be.Time we join the free world of expression.

    27
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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello.
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    Sep 14th 2017, 5:32 PM

    @Stan: You’re not “ruled out if you have a beard”. They let you shave it off.

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    Mute Sean @114
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    Sep 14th 2017, 5:58 PM

    @John Scott: following orders, yes?

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    Mute Diaspora'd
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    Sep 14th 2017, 6:37 PM

    @Sean @114: “following orders” was called the Nuremberg defense. Didn’t think anyone would want to use that in their defense anymore.

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    Mute Patabake Kennedy
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    Sep 14th 2017, 3:45 PM

    Sure, was it not Noirin that said she had all the resources needed for the job.

    35
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    Mute Martin
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    Sep 14th 2017, 5:50 PM

    All of this was preceeded with by the Burglary statistics, remember them??? All these garda operations had us believe burglaries had dropped by huge amounts. Garda management basked in the glory. Then the truth emerged. The CSO got in on the act. Fact of the matter was burglaries were gone through roof. Burglars having a field day nationwide. Who benefitted??? You guessed it. Garda Management.

    28
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    Mute Brian O Reilly
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    Sep 14th 2017, 3:54 PM

    All the Commissioners,say what the Government want them to say ,and what we want to hear

    22
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    Mute Jane Waters
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    Sep 14th 2017, 5:31 PM

    I guess that’s what happens when Govt repeat the mantra of “doing more with less” Remember that one?
    You can’t do more with less, end of.

    18
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    Mute Cathal MacDocraigh
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    Sep 14th 2017, 6:25 PM

    Where were all these poor victimised Garda when McCabe came forward Why when they were aware of the manipulation of figures they did not speak up Managment encouraged it to further their careers Rank and file stayed quiet to protect their careers ? what’s the difference? The boys are crying wolf me thinks

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    Mute Dain Flemming
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    Sep 14th 2017, 4:33 PM

    The policies did recommend that they submit false figures did they?

    18
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    Mute Peter Higgins
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    Sep 14th 2017, 5:38 PM

    This nonsense by the shortsighted GRA in refusing to accept that they FALSIFIED the breath test figures is further eroding what little credibility they have left.

    They’ve been caught out yet again. Major changes needed !

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    Mute Tom Harpur
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    Sep 14th 2017, 5:04 PM

    The GRA said today that no one could categorically say that it was their members falsifying data, but there are numerous examples of supervisors and managers having input into this system.

    Well I know one thing for sure it sure as hell wasn’t me.

    18
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    Mute Harry Price
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    Sep 14th 2017, 6:26 PM

    The GRA is but a union of gardai to try and cover up ,to lie about the breath test is but another criminal act, for each person is bound by the law of statue and to lie as have the GRA is to add to being criminal ,,the blame and shame game of we were following orders is sick like the ones that faked the frauds …

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    Mute Mick Murphy
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    Sep 14th 2017, 6:36 PM

    @Harry Price: what is “the law of statue”?

    7
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    Mute Shay
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    Sep 14th 2017, 8:42 PM

    @Harry Price: can you clarify what law exactly is being broken here? I lied to a teacher once about why I didn’t have my homework, was that breaking the law? If I was I’ll turn myself in tomorrow after I get my affairs in order, I could be away for a long stretch

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    Mute @mdmak33
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    Sep 14th 2017, 7:23 PM

    No one believes this nonsense.the union should be stamping out corruption not defending it.

    15
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    Mute Brian O'Faolain
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    Sep 14th 2017, 11:12 PM

    Only following orders huh, that makes ìt okay. Tip of the iceberg stuff this.

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    Mute Cathal MacDocraigh
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    Sep 14th 2017, 6:20 PM

    @Eugene Comaskey: rats leaving a sinking ship scenario Numerous Garda recorded making the figures up as they go along when ringing them into Castlebar Then they come out with this nonsense

    12
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    Mute Thomas Sheridan
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    Sep 14th 2017, 6:50 PM

    Why am I reminded of Pavee Point

    4
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    Mute William Kelly
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    Sep 15th 2017, 6:27 AM

    This intervention is way out of order.
    The country needs a wholly trustworthy Garda force, & this breathalyser fiddling is a deep indication that it is not so presently. Add in the earlier scandals, & the as yet unresolved Templemoregate, a root & branch sort out needs to be done without interference from within or without.
    The barrel seems to have become pretty rotten, so the cops unions need to butt out now, & save their objections for when charges are laid .

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    Mute John Adams
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    Sep 15th 2017, 12:22 PM

    Sounds like George Orwell’s 1984.

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    Mute Karl Phillips
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    Sep 15th 2017, 12:09 PM

    Ask John Wilson ( ret ) or Maurice Mc Cabe the organisation is rotten and good people either fall into line or get side lined. I always wondered what was the outcome of the incident in Lucan where a young lad lost his life after being run over by a car that had 3 Guards in it ….

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