THE GARDA COMMISSIONER has made an unprecedented intervention over allegations that Gardaí have cancelled a large number of penalty points for motorists.
In a statement, Martin Callinan rejected a suggestion that a “culture of non-enforcement of penalties” was being tolerated by An Garda Síochána.
Callinan said that an internal investigation into the allegations – which will be carried out by Assistant Garda Commissioner John O’Mahoney – will be “comprehensive and rigorous, whatever the circumstances behind them”.
“If issues emerge as to how some individual cases were dealt with, these will be pursued fully,” Callinan said. “Equally, if any lessons can be learned from the examination when it is complete, these will be taken on board”.
The Commissioner said that it was unfair on Gardaí and motorists to “assert wrongdoing in the absence of a determination of the full facts”.
“For obvious reasons, there are limits to what I can say publicly about this matter until [the investigation] is complete,” Callinan said. ”It would be unfortunate if people were to take advantage of that situation to repeat publicly allegations as if they were established facts”.
It is important that the present examination should be allowed to proceed unhindered and that there should be no rush to judgement in advance of a full determination of the facts. In the meantime, one fact should be clear: An Garda Síochána is determined to enforce fully Road Traffic legislation so as to make our roads safer for all.
The information about the penalty points cancellations was revealed by two Garda whistleblowers last week.
United Left Alliance TDs Clare Daly and Joan Collins used parliamentary privilege in the Dáil earlier this week to name one judge who allegedly had her penalty points terminated.
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