Garda Poll shows reform urgently needed

Responding to last week's poll indicating that almost 40% of the population have no confidence in the Garda Síochána, Sinn Féin spokesperson on Justice, Equality and Human Rights, Aengus Ó Snodaigh, said it was a "shocking indictment of current Garda management" and called for "comprehensive reform" to Garda accountability structures than can restore public confidence, such as those proposed by Sinn Féin.

"It is absolutely unacceptable that almost 40% of the general population, according to this poll, feel that the Gardaí do not carry out their role in a fair and impartial manner. That this figure increases in urban centres where contact with the Gardaí is higher should be ringing alarm bells in the Department of Justice.

"To restore public confidence from an all time low the Minister must now accept that his plans for Garda reform do not go far enough and that he will have to implement changes that will make An Garda Síochána a truly democratically, accountable and transparent policing service for all the people."