George Nkencho shooting and GSOC resourcing
Deputy Barry first raises concern that the Garda involved in George Nkencho’s killing has not been suspended or interviewed, but the Ceann Comhairle rules the point too identifiable. He then shifts to GSOC’s lack of investigators and the pace of the inquiry; the Taoiseach offers condolences, confirms an independent criminal investigation is under way, and says prioritisation matters in any workload.
Is the Taoiseach aware that the garda who fired the shot that killed George Nkencho has not been suspended from An Garda Síochána pending investigation and, it would seem, has not yet been interviewed by the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC?
Comment on this
I do not think that is an appropriate matter to raise in the House. The individual is possibly identifiable and is not here to protect or defend himself. I do not consider that a reasonable-----
Comment on this
In that case I will take a different path with this. Is the Taoiseach aware that correspondence sent by the chairperson of GSOC to the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, ICCL, dated 22 January refers to the challenge faced by an oversight body with fewer than 40 investigators in dealing with a Garda service of approximately 15,000 members? The under-resourcing of GSOC and the glacial pace of the Nkencho investigation raised the spectre that the murder of a gangland boss might be investigated more quickly now than the killing of a young man by a Garda officer. Does the Taoiseach believe that this is an acceptable state of affairs? Will he agree that an independent public inquiry rather than an under-resourced GSOC investigation is the way to go with this case?
Comment on this
Our deepest sympathies go to all those, particularly the family and relatives of George Nkencho, in terms of what happened in that tragic event in Hartstown. Any fatal shooting of this kind is deeply distressing for all and for the entire community. The local community experienced real trauma as a result of this event. Such incidents, thankfully, are rare in Ireland but this will be fully investigated independently. GSOC has confirmed that it has begun a criminal investigation under section 98 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005. GSOC can make wider systemic recommendations on issues it investigates and it is free to do so in this instance also. It is not appropriate for me to consider any further interventions at this stage.