THE GARDA SÍOCHÁNA Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc) has recommended that no disciplinary proceedings be taken against two Garda detectives over a submachine gun that had been lost from a Garda car in Dublin City centre last summer.

TheJournal.ie reported that the gun was lost on 10 July 2018 and was handed in to Store Street Garda Station by a member of the public.

The firearm had been used by a garda who was part of an armed unit involved in ongoing criminal investigations in Dublin. The gun was in a bag in the boot of a car which was part of a convoy travelling at high speed through Dublin city when it fell out of the car. 

The Assistant Garda Commissioner John O’Driscoll said at the time that “any incident of that nature is regretted”.

Gsoc began a public interest inquiry on 11 July 2018 following media reports of the incident. 

According to some media reports, the firearm was returned by a person who travelled on a Luas to Store Street Garda Station.

Gsoc said that it was subsequently established that the weapon was not loaded and that it had not been transported on the Luas.

The Gsoc investigation, which included reconstructions of events leading up to the loss of the firearm, concluded that, on the balance of probabilities, the car boot into which the unloaded firearm had been placed was closed over when the driver started the car engine.

But the boot was seen to open as the car went over a ramp, Gsoc said.

The Commission has written to the Garda Commissioner recommending that consideration be given to instruction and/or direction to all members as to how firearms are to be carried in Garda vehicles in a safe manner.