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Garda Commissioner Drew Harris

'I am Irish': New Garda Commissioner says he'll lead by example to restore public's trust in the force

Drew Harris was speaking with Miriam O’Callaghan on RtÉ Radio One.

NEW GARDA COMMISSIONER Drew Harris vowed that his tenure as the country’s top officer will be one of transparency and accountability as he dismissed that his previous role in the PSNI could act as a conflict of interest. 

Harris’s appointment had created controversy in certain circles with many suggesting that he was unfit to serve as commissioner due to his work with the then RUC.

Indeed, one person took a case to the High Court in a bid to stop him getting the job. 

The action had been brought by researcher Ciaran MacAirt whose grandmother Kathleen Irvine was one of 15 people killed when a loyalist bomb exploded at McGurk’s Bar in Belfast in December 1971.

In his action, MacAirt says Harris lacks the independence required to be Garda Commissioner due to this role in the PSNI and its predecessor  – the RUC.

That challenge ultimately failed.

But in an interview with Miriam O’Callaghan on RTÉ Radio One this morning, Harris said that his duty is to the Irish people and said himself that he was Irish. 

“I’ve been policing for 34 years so I’m very much here to support and lead the organisation. I want the people on the frontline to know I’m here to support them. We demand a lot from people who join this work – you have to go the extra mile sometimes in dangerous places. We are protecting society from dangerous individuals and dangerous things and it requires people to show courage.”

Harris’s father, who was also a member of the RUC, was killed by the IRA in 1989. He described how he hoped against hope that his father wasn’t dead and that he was just injured instead. His mother was injured in the same car bomb attack. 

‘I’m not an angel’

Harris told O’Callaghan that after his father’s death, he made a promise to himself that he would not “be lost to bitterness” and that his father would have wanted him to continue to uphold the rule of law and not be swayed by his death. 

“I’m not an angel but I tried hard – he would have wanted me to take care of my family and to work hard and that’s what I concentrated on. Over the years – the grief is with you but you can concentrate on doing your job,” he said.

Questioned on the ongoing dissident activity on the island of Ireland – Harris said there is no place for hatred in a new Ireland and that the loyalists and republicans of old should respect democracy. 

“They seek to overturn democracy and seek to do it through violent means and very often driven by hatred. The futility of all that they did – the application of pain and hurt on destruction motivated by hatred did no good whatsoever. 

“Undoubtedly there’s still activity on both sides. That intent still remains. We need to look back to Good Friday Agreement and what it said was a recognition of two traditions. Even my appointment I see it as a natural flow on from it.

We need to retreat from extremism and find commonality between us. There are plenty of threats which seem to be pushing people to extremes all over the world and we have to stand against that. I am Irish – it seems natural to be working here and providing my service in protecting people of Ireland. 

Addressing the mistrust of gardaí in the wake of controversies such as the handling of whistleblowers such as Maurice McCabe and other failings like the breath test scandal, Harris said that he has to lead by example to rebuild a fragile relationship with the public.  

“There is trust in gardaí, local gardaí and there’s less trust in senior management and myself and I have to work on that. Senior leaders must be an example of behaviours  It’s difficult to control what people think but it is possible to say these are the behaviours I expect and will enforce.

“I want to leave it better than I found it. I want to leave in five years time and that ‘you did well’.”

The new Commissioner, who was officially sworn in at a ceremony on Monday, addressed a number of issues surrounding his appointment at his first press conference this afternoon.

Some have expressed concerns that Harris’ appointment creates a conflict of interest because of an obligation to keep certain intelligence from his previous role secret.

Others have taken issue with his evidence at the Smithwick Tribunal, which found collusion between gardaí and IRA members in the killings of two RUC officers.

However, at this afternoon’s press conference, Harris firmly pledged his allegiance to his new employer and the Irish public.

“I am here to protect the people of Ireland,” he said. “I am here to lead An Garda Síochána in that mission. I’ve said that very unequivocally.

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    Mute Sharp Elsi Mate
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    Jun 10th 2020, 8:24 AM

    That headline right there is an embarrassment to any government in power. Shameful that this is how vulnerable people get access to housing.

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    Mute James Gorman
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    Jun 10th 2020, 8:39 AM

    @Sharp Elsi Mate: who do you think funds those agencies??

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    Mute The next small thing
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    Jun 10th 2020, 8:39 AM

    @Sharp Elsi Mate: This housing is paid for by the Government, it’s just another way of delivering it and can be done cheaper than going through the Local Authority. Also the Local Authority doesn’t have the problems and costs associated with social housing such as maintenance, non payment of rent and anti social behaviour.

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    Mute Vic's Burd
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    Jun 10th 2020, 9:02 AM

    @Sharp Elsi Mate: If we were to wait around til the state looked for land and funding to build public social housing on, we will have a way bigger homeless issue to deal with…

    The AHBs are providing a much needed ‘home for life’ service – some of these are built on private lands still own by Trusts; who claim a share of the rents to fund Charities, stakeholders and investors etc. While the rest of the rent goes to the upkeep and maintenance.

    This is the future of social housing. Public owned land is getting scarce.

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    Mute Pauline Fedigan
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    Jun 10th 2020, 9:17 AM

    @James Gorman: THE TAX PAYERS

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    Mute Sharp Elsi Mate
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    Jun 10th 2020, 9:33 AM

    @James Gorman: WE DO. I’m under no illusion how these charities and agencies are funded my point was that we have a completely dysfunctional housing agency that cannot delivery all housing like a properly ran agency should. But thats ok James if you think you are getting good value out of those civil servants happy days come to think of it you probably are one of them.

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    Mute James Walsh
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    Jun 10th 2020, 10:21 AM

    @Sharp Elsi Mate: You don’t seem to understand the concept , just eager to express some outrage

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    Mute Sharp Elsi Mate
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    Jun 10th 2020, 2:14 PM

    @James Walsh: aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…now i feel better

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    Mute Jenny Hughes
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    Jun 10th 2020, 7:36 PM

    @James Walsh: “just eager to express some outrage” this sums up most people these days! I’ll be stealing this phrase, you’re spot on!

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    Mute Shaner Mac
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    Jun 10th 2020, 8:21 AM

    With the completely dysfunctional and unsustainable nature of the current social housing system, I’m not surprised that local councils can’t and don’t deliever them directly.

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    Mute Sean Boylan
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    Jun 10th 2020, 8:42 AM

    @Shaner Mac: The local councils are delivering social units also ranging from new builds, part v, purchases and leases. The same with the voluntary housing bodies, the majority of the new units to this sector are funded and procured through the local councils. Most of the new units stated are owned by the LA and leased to the voluntary bodies. The two always work together to provide housing services.

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    Mute Vic's Burd
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    Jun 10th 2020, 9:04 AM

    @Sean Boylan: not all of them. Some are privately build for this purpose; LA just pay the rent similar to HAP for private landlords.

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    Mute New Day Rising
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    Jun 10th 2020, 8:52 AM

    Just imagine the state this country would be in without charity and volunteer involvement, they do it all, housing, mental health, cancer respite, suicide prevention to name a few. The governments over decades have failed us

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    Mute Vic's Burd
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    Jun 10th 2020, 9:07 AM

    @New Day Rising: you are aware the majority get 50-80% funding from the Government to run these services under Service Agreements?

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    Mute Greg Daniel
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    Jun 10th 2020, 9:21 AM

    Build it and they will come

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    Mute Rory J Leonard
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    Jun 10th 2020, 9:16 AM

    Yes, the AHB’s are doing wonderful work throughout the country in providing homes to the most vulnerable.

    The Peter McVerry Trust operates a wonderful scheme – now up and running in many counties – whereby owners of run-down unoccupied properties are assisted financially in bringing them back to life.

    There’s a dribble of Income for the freehold owner initially until repair bill has been fully recovered; afterwards… almost full market rent for the region in question. PMT takes care of everything.

    So for anyone wondering what to do with their recently inherited, bramble/ivy covered, right country located, fixer upper, talk to the folks at The Peter McVerry Trust.

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    Mute Damon16
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    Jun 10th 2020, 1:40 PM

    Good. 100% of social housing should be built this way. The public sector is the most inefficient and unaccountable entity.

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    Mute Patrick FitzGerald
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    Jun 10th 2020, 6:56 PM

    Non profit should be the only way housing is provided. That we allow people to use housing they don’t need as an investment vehicle and exploit people in the process is one of the worst archaic paradigms of human civilisation.

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