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HOW DID GARDAÍ record 1,000,000 imaginary breathalyser tests on their official systems?
Why did it take three years for the scale of the Phantom Breath Testing to become known?
Who out of 14,500 officers is responsible for this game of make-believe?
According to the most senior of garda management, the wizardry that magicked up the non-existent has been eradicated.
So, what was the problem, you ask?
Well, that’s the thing. They’re not quite sure just yet.
But it is fixed.
That’s why they took so long to tell us.
“The initial action was to address the problem,” Deputy Commissioner John Twomey explained yesterday.
“In April 2016, new measures were brought in to make sure the problem couldn’t occur,” he assured the numerous deputies and senators lined up at the Justice Committee, eager to be enlightened.
The motley crew of cross-party members invited the Commissioner to the hearing to uncover more details around what happened within An Garda Síochána which led to almost one million alcohol breath tests that never happened being recorded. There was also the second controversy, which saw more than 14,000 drivers convicted without proper process, to deal with.
Fresh and armed with questions at 9am, they faced an embattled Garda Commissioner, Twomey and – the man who can be credited for putting all these details in front of us – Assistant Commissioner Michael Finn yesterday.
Cut to four hours later with only the one toilet break (and not a coffee in sight), it was the politicians who were battered, bruised, frustrated and frantically repeating words while, presumably, refraining from banging heads on tables. (Clare Daly might still be in Committee Room 1 asking, ‘What is the figure? What is the figure? What is the figure?’)
Although they had the right questions, few were answered.
“We haven’t got to the bottom of exactly what [happened],” O’Sullivan explained to Deputy Jim O’Callaghan, who wondered what ‘grave mistakes and wrongdoing’ the witness had earlier apologised for.
“But what we do know is that the numbers do not match. Therefore the Assistant Commissioner [Michael O'Sullivan] has to establish how exactly this was done.
She pondered out loud:
Was it entered erroneously? Was it entered in error? What was it?
Later, she conceded that these two controversies highlight ‘at best, incompetence and, at worst, deception’.
And in a pre-prepared opening statement said, “Those mistakes and wrongdoings are unacceptable in policing terms, unacceptable in ethical terms, unacceptable in terms of public trust, and, most critically, unacceptable to the advocacy and support groups involved in road safety and to those who were wrongly brought to court.
They have raised serious issues about how we managed the service, how certain Gardaí operated on the ground and their supervision. Given the scale of these issues, they can’t simply be blamed on one individual or one area. It is a collective failure. From top down to bottom up.
While Deputy Pearse Doherty of Sinn Féin was mostly concerned about why the fault was being laid on every single foot soldier, others were curious about the Medical Bureau for Road Safety’s contacts with gardaí about nonsensical data all the way back in 2014. Senator Frances Black floated the idea that the creators of the Phantom Breath Tests may – or at least could – have clocked up some overtime hours (and pay). Mick Wallace went straight for the person, asking, ‘Who is going to hold you to account?’
The trio, as a team, batted the questions away.
“Collective responsibility.”
“Major programme of reform.”
“We are turning over a lot of stones.”
“If you look at the staggering figures that are there… I can tell you that they feel collectively embarrassed and sorry.”
“The [2014] conversation was about procurement, not at management level.”
“I was almost single-handedly with five Assistant Commissioners running an organisation of 14,500.”
“We have been brought up as police men and women – we want to get the facts before going public.”
“It’s a very interesting question. We hold each other accountable in the first instance. There is a statutory framework there that can hold me to account.”
Another repeated query: Why wasn’t the Policing Authority told about this?
“An administrative error.”
“It was a complete oversight that it wasn’t done. It was notified to the department, and to the Authority and we apologised.”
There were a couple of bright spark moments for the non-uniformed in the room. Fianna Fáil’s Jack Chambers landed a couple of questions as he sought information on whether An Garda Síochána’s performance and bonus structures (roundly criticised by AGSI when they existed) could have encouraged some massaging of figures on behalf of the higher-ups.
“What were the performance-related targets linked with bonuses paid to senior people? Could that have been the potential trigger for driving data upwards? Was that the trigger… to have maximised data outcomes?”
Deputy, I’m not aware of the bonus payment scheme in relation to the members of the force but we can certainly check that out for you.
“You were the Assistant Commissioner for Human Resource Management at the time.”
Yes, I was. But I wasn’t aware of the bonus payment scheme… One of the deficits we have as an organisation is performance management and performance issues.
The commissioners finally came up blank, telling the Castleknock deputy that they’d have to find out for him if there were any links between data and performance-related bonuses.
A win of sorts for Chambers. His fierce questioning on cultural triggers paid off too and we got an hypothesis of sorts on why of this may have happened.
“Can you give us an hypothesis about why, in your opinion, this may have happened? I understand you’re continuing an audit but surely as senior people in An Garda Síochána, you have some indication about how this happened in every part of this country, in every station.
He pushed again.
“Do you have any hypothesis at all about how this happened on such a systematic level?… What was the specific trigger within the force that drove this systematic failure? In your opinion, right now.
And again.
“Do you have an opinion? Do you have one? I asked for a hypothesis. Surely you have some hypothesis about what triggered this systemic failure. Surely you have some answer to that question.
“I can’t give you a specific answer to be honest… I have a range of ideas,” responded Finn.
“I’d like to hear some of them… Could you refer to some of your ideas?”
“There may well have been individual locations…”
“We know they weren’t individual locations, because we know it happened everywhere. I don’t want to hear about individualisation or specific divisions… What is your overarching hypothesis as an experienced member of the force on why this happened on such a systematic level…?”
O’Sullivan swiftly stepped in to aid her Deputy, clarifying that she wanted to be careful because of the Assistant Commissioner’s impending inquiry.
A hypothesis may well be… MAT checkpoints are a preventative measure. They are actually not designed to catch people. They are designed to encourage compliant behaviour… Perhaps, it wasn’t as valued as important as it was in terms of detections.
“If you take it – and I would not like to detract from the really really good, diligent, professional, ethical work that is done by the men and women of An Garda Síochána every single day…
“But a hypothesis may well be that the fact that this was a preventative measure, the accuracy and the importance of reporting the accurate numbers – be it 24 or 48 hours after a very busy period of time – it doesn’t lessen it, it doesn’t diminish it – but a hypothesis may well be that it wasn’t seen as important as being accurate in terms of the detection of offences.”
There were even stickier questions to come as Clare Daly got the calculator out.
400,000 doesn’t go into 1,000,000 too many times, she discovered.
“You expect us to believe - and have stated repeatedly here – that there were 400,000 checkpoints carried out during that time. I put it to you Commissioner, ‘How in God’s name could that be possible?’ That would mean, in effect, that every checkpoint tested about 2.5 people.”
Finn said he could stand over that particular number, saying all the checkpoints were validated.
“I have no indication to say our checkpoint data is wrong. I have presented the data in relation to our breath test. I have verified that externally,” he added.
Twomey confirmed that there are no set guidelines about how many drivers should be tested at any given site. Finn explained that MATs are often carried out at night and in rural locations. And not everybody is breathalised, either.
O’Sullivan moved quickly away from numbers.
“It is important to focus on the outcome and the purpose of the MAT checkpoints,” she said. “The purpose is to reduce road deaths and fatal collisions and that’s what we’re achieving.”
It’s true but those in Leinster House weren’t enamoured.
Daly said she felt “like the parent who finds the child with the biscuit jar and chocolate all over his mouth, sitting there saying, ‘It wasn’t me’”.
Colm Brophy of Fine Gael wasn’t “interested in the excuses used four times already”.
And his party colleague, Senator Martin Conway, summed up his opinion on whether O’Sullivan can restore the public’s confidence in just one succinct sentence.
“If you do, you will have put Lazarus in the ha’penny place.”
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Looking forward to seeing the far right, she who sues, candidate getting the thrashing she deserves
@DJ François: She hung in despite the imitation and constant harassment — even the organised pile-on by the tax-payer funded politically correct censors disguised as non-government organisations did not put a halt to her gallop.
@Mary’s Abbey: ***canned laughter***
@DJ François: You’d hope she’d get the message that she is hated but she’ll never stop trying to get on that gravy train.
@Mary’s Abbey: hehehehehhe
@Mary’s Abbey: so r u saying her constantly intimidating and harassing people didn’t help her Mary ?
@richard fennessy: Definitely, her going into shops and harassing the staff and filming it doesn’t seem to help. @Mary’s Abbey, that “candidate” is a pathetic example of an Irish person.
@DJ François: Over one thousand Irish Patriots think you are talking through your bonnet!
@Mary’s Abbey: never heard a real patriot referring to themselves as a patriot.
@DJ François: Lost deposit and made a show of herself at the count-what a loser, and a green probably going to win, bloody hilarious. I’m waiting for her latest Facebook meltdown, blaming everything but her nonsense policies for her loss
@DJ François: These “patriots” aren’t fit to lick the boots of my grandfather, QM for D company, 4th Batt. 1916.
He hated racists.
@Mary’s Abbey: over 24 thousand others thought otherwise
@DJ François: she’s already started. A van with an out of date tax cert is to blame.
Its not looking good for the old doctor who owns most of North County Dublin.
So FF to get 2 seats. The message is, it doesn’t matter how criminally corrupt or incompetent you are, keep your head down for a while they’ll soon forget.
@JustJack: I have noted the Fianna Fail supporting constituencies and making a mental note to check my change twice when I am passing through them. They are still Ireland’s wrecking ball.
@JustJack: and even so people still vote FF/FG/LAB. I guess you could be right.
@JustJack: move on man
They’ll have the seats for 6 months max before next year’s GE. Almost seems like a waste of money running these bye elections.
@Pete Gilmartin: it’s easier to stay elected than get elected.
If we vote for FFFG we deserve everything we get.
@Shazam37: you’re so right. I’m getting seriously frustrated with the people in this country who either don’t get out to vote (unless legitimate reasons) and/or vote FFG, Lab, Greens. The same people will wail about the state of the country but will STILL vote these parties in! The country is getting worse, not better guys!!!!
@Everyone’sgonecrazy: well the country has been driven by FFFG – I know Lab Green have been in office recently enough to have helped destroy the country but they’ve never led a government. i won’t vote Lab (I’m against trade unions) but I’ll give greens a preference after SD, independent maybe SF depending on the candidate. But I won’t vote for the leading three under any circumstances
@Shazam37: Yes, FFG are the main culprits of misery. While I sometimes admire the idealistic views of the greens, they aren’t realistic for a lot of people in Ireland. Environmental taxes etc are great in theory but doesn’t prevent me from needing a lot of petrol per week to drive into work. I grew up in a city but house prices were crazy and unattainable so I moved to rural Ireland. I have no choice but to drive. I work hard, pay my taxes, have a mortgage, myself and people like me shouldn’t be punished with the taxes the Greens advocate for
@Everyone’sgonecrazy: it’s just me feminism. You shouldn’t be punished? Equally children shouldn’t be punished by inheriting a world we’ve basically destroyed because you need to drive a car.
The greens policies are realistic – you just don’t want them.
Policies like that change behaviour. You’d have to move. Or change jobs. Or find all ger stove means of transport . Which is the point. Everyone who uses an environmentally damaging vehicle gets punished it for it.
@Shazam37: I get what you’re saying and I agree to a point, but what did their policies on diesel vs petrol cars actually achieve for example except for making things harder for some people? Has it contributed positively and significantly to climate change? I don’t believe so. It’s easy to say I’d have to move or change jobs but seriously, everyone can’t live close to their jobs/cities, rural Ireland, in many cases, doesn’t have anywhere close to a regular and fit-for-purpose public transport system.
@Shazam37: and I’m not saying nothing should be done, I want to leave my future children a better world, but come on, we’re an insignificant blip on world carbon emissions, I’d respect and buy into green-type policies a lot more if the politicians/the world stood up to the main culprits of pollution. Our crowd won’t and I don’t see the Greens doing it either if they got into power.
Looks like the Shinner is doing well in Dublin Mid-West.
God help us all.
@Chin Feeyin: No surprise. You see SF Councillors between elections actively helping the community, while you only really see the FFG Councillors at photo ops.
@Chin Feeyin: pffft. Maybe people with more sympathy toward the less well off.
God help you you mean.
@Chin Feeyin: yep it’s what u get for actively helping people and not just popping up at election time
@Chin Feeyin: I just want to ask you some questions and Ihope you are no offended in any way. Do you ever feel violated after listening to your parties lies and nonsense? Do you really believe everything they tell you about how great they are?
@The Risen: nonsense. While i would never vote FG I know emir Higgins has dine more work for that community in the last ten years than the likes of Mark ward or SF will ever do. If he does top the vote which I expect him to the community will suffer as a result. A populist vote and certainly not a that will serve the people.
@The Risen: “FFG”?
Are you Willy McBride? Thought so.
@ChuckE: Which “community”? This is an election to the Dail. His responsibility is to the nation after that. Not his constituency.
@David Corrigan: I have never expressed support for any political party on here. Never. Not once.
@Shazam37: God help me is right. If SF ever get into government (they won’t) I’ll be paying a lot more tax, and I pay enough right now thank you very much.
@Chin Feeyin: yes – so it’s all about you. Homelessness health – you don’t care about any of that so long as you’re alright.
Which is what makes you such a distasteful character.
@Shazam37: Now, now. Your Great Leader told you not to be hurling abuse at people on the Internet.
@Chin Feeyin: where’s your pon pons today
@Chin Feeyin: answer the question
@Chin Feeyin: ?? Who’s my great leader? I don’t support a particular party. I am
ardently against FFFGLab
@Shazam37: Fair enough. I thought you were a Shinnerbot – there’s a lot of them on here.
@Chin Feeyin: pffft. Yea you thought that because you’re so ensconced in you own agenda. Your own self interest.
I actually think of people other than myself. That kid eating dinner off cardboard for example.
@The Risen: only if their on welfare ! We want everything and someone else to pay for it
@Alan: no just those things which are fundamental to human survival. Shelter healthcare. Water.
@ChuckE: I’d never vote FG but…..Eoin O Broin has been an excellent rep for that area and his input on solving the housing crisis has been second to none.
The only parties to call to our home over the past couple of weeks were SF, PBP and SF again. Not a peek from the others. Seems to have paid off for Mark Ward
@Paul Dooley: obviously very selective with the areas they canvas. One party knocked on my door and that was FF. No other candidates came the the area
Never mind Doherty, the truly embarrassing point is that Clifford Lee still managed to get 17% of the vote..What a joke
@Velez26: people never learn.
At least, and not in my lifetime, trends show that FFFG will be dead eventually
Live blog, an hour late
Despite all the vitriol, intimidation, harassment and the well-funded non-governmental organisations campaigning solely against Gemma, over one thousand Irish Patriots voted for freedom. From this small seed, a mighty Oak will grow.
@Mary’s Abbey: are these seeds from the local Head Shop?
@Mary’s Abbey: hahahahahaha
@Mary’s Abbey: lost deposit, meltdown at count. The Gemmaroids spinning desperately at the failure of her policies.
partiots my hole.
No-one in my household even got a polling card. Not exactly promoting turnout is it?
@John Considine: polling card not necessary to vote.
@John Considine: Same here. The three of us went up and voted anyway but didnt even realise it was the date of the election until 7.30pm when I spotted a tweet about it. That’s never happened before.
@John Considine: Of course not and I went up and voted anyway. But polling cards are a good way to remind people there is an election upcoming and where and when specifically they should vote.
@Sandra Duffy: you didn’t realise it was the day of the election?
You should have your right to vote taken from you.
@Chin Feeyin: good aul fg attitude there, only certain people who we deem fit should be allowed vote
@Thomas Maher: not a FG supporter.
@Chin Feeyin: uh uh. Well you’ve been bashing the left so who does that leave you?
@Chin Feeyin: there was a big problem with the printing machine
@Shazam37: it just leaves me as an opponent of the Marxists and Trotskyites. Nothing more.
@Chin Feeyin: but as I said / that’s just silly childish sloganism. That might describe the PBP but not Sinn Fein labour or Soc dems who are centre left and socially democratic mostly.
FF are campaigning left of centre which means your a blue shirt.
Me Myself I. The politics of selfishness
@Shazam37: Sinn Fein are Marxists.
@Shazam37: FF left of centre? First I heard of it!
@Chin Feeyin: they’ve always campaigned to the left and more recently governed to the right. It was them after all that built all the social housing of the past and paid the unions through the nose. Ask them they won’t claim to be a party of the right.
As for SF being Marxist. You’re wise of the mark there. Their policies aren’t looney left – it’s just easy and lazy to tar them with that brush because you don’t like their policies. Which is obvious from your name.
Don’t know why you don’t just nail your colours to the mast. It’s make everyone’s life easier. You’re into the politics of self service. You first. Hang everyone else. It’s a legitimate (though deeply distasteful) position to hold.
The only reason you don’t admit it is because you’re worried what other people think of you. Sad really.
Is Charlie Keddy in Cork North Central and Dublin Mid-West the same person?
@Marc Esteve: Yes and he is running in Wexford. He is from Wicklow.
@Marc Esteve: He ran in Wexford too. Same person.
@Darren Doyle McCormack: and Dublin Fingal.
@Darren Doyle McCormack: and he ran in Dublin Fingal.
@Darren Doyle McCormack: he ran everywhere, must have been in training for next year’s marathon
Time to get Fianna Fail back into government next May & start all the hand outs all over again. 100% mortgages massive dole hikes. Building housing estates in swamps.
How people in Fingal, the commuter belt and farming voted Green is beyond me
FF Broke this country and ye muppets vote them back i n
@Ciaran Goggins: you’re a muppet
The results show Verona Murphy running for FF. ?
However no problem with trial by Leo
Fianna Fáil are easily the best party ever in the world by a mile and a half
same shite different election.we deserve what we get.
Karma bites the ass, come on the Greens. Way to go.
The boom is back, great day for Fianna Fáil. Hail the party, hail the man
have your say