Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 February 2026
318. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration further to a statement of the Taoiseach in the Dáil on Wednesday, 28 January 2026 regarding the acquittal of four serving Gardaí and one retired Garda superintendent of perverting the course of justice, and the need for a review of the case, the form that review will take; who will conduct the review; and when the terms of reference will be published. [9028/26]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the Director of Public Prosecutions is independent under the Prosecution of Offences Act, 1974 and her decisions in relation to prosecutions are taken independently. Equally, the courts are independent under the Constitution. An Garda Síochána is operationally independent of the Government.
It is an important feature of our criminal justice system that all the key elements of the system, from investigators, to prosecutors to judges and juries, are independent of the Government in the exercise of their functions.
It is also important to recall that all persons accused of offences before the courts are innocent until proven guilty. That principle is at the heart of our criminal justice system. The fact that a case ends with an acquittal does not indicate a failure of the system. Instead, it goes to underscore that it is robust, fair and impartial.
In this particular case, the serving Gardaí and retired Garda superintendent were all acquitted and the serving members of An Garda Síochána involved in this case have had their suspensions lifted by the Garda Commissioner.
