Arrest made over fire at Dublin pub owned by Conor McGregor
Emergency services were called to the blaze at the Black Forge in Drimnagh in the early hours of Friday, July 25.
No injuries were reported, however, garda said at the time they were treating the incident as criminal damage.
On Saturday, they revealed they had detained a man aged in his 20s as part of their investigation.
"Gardaí attached to An Garda Síochána's Special Detective Unit have arrested a male in connection with the investigation into Criminal Damage at a licensed premises in the South Dublin area on Friday, July 25, 2025," read a statement from gardaí on Saturday.
"The male, aged in his 20s, was arrested yesterday, August 8, 2025 and remains detained at a Garda station in the Dublin region under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.
"An Garda Síochána has no further comment at this time."
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The Journal
13 minutes ago
- The Journal
Why have underperforming traffic cops' supervisors let them away it?
Lauren Boland AN GARDA SÍOCHÁNA has a big problem: some of its members tasked with policing Irish roads aren't carrying out their jobs properly, and their supervisors aren't pulling them up on it. The question of safety for people using Irish roads has been at the fore of public attention in recent years as numbers of collisions and fatalities climbed upwards, reaching a high of 182 road deaths in 2023. In June of that year, the Garda Commissioner's office received an anonymous letter detailing failures in how gardaí were policing the roads. An external review was commissioned to look into the matter. The final report was published today , and it shines a bright light on poor practices by some rank-and-file gardaí and their supervisors when it comes to enforcing road safety legislation. Not pulling their weight The inquiry, which was conducted externally by Crowe , gathered information about productivity levels in six sample garda divisions, including through data analysis, one-to-one meetings with gardaí, group discussions, and 'direct observations' by members of the inquiry team while accompanying gardaí on duty. It found that many roads-policing gardaí are highly productive, professional, and dedicated to their jobs. However, some others are doing far less work. Some may regularly have shifts where they issue no fixed-charge notices, make no arrests, seize no vehicles or record no incidents – the metrics by which productivity statistics are gathered. Could the variance in productivity be down to different gardaí being assigned different tasks? In small part, potentially. Operating a checkpoint, for instance, may have a low return and therefore influence productivity figures, the report said. However, it was apparent through speaking with gardaí and observing patrols that members who were working at low productivity levels were doing so as a 'matter of personal preference'. The report was finished earlier this year but released to the public for the first time today. An Garda Síochána An Garda Síochána It was known within divisions that some gardaí in road policing units were deliberately ignoring offences and passing their shifts with little to show for them. There was a sense of 'resignation' that while many gardaí were 'dedicated, professional and productive', there was a 'significant cohort of officers who are disinterested and whose productivity is comparatively low'. Advertisement The report's findings have sparked concern among senior garda management and will necessitate internal changes to ensure that the issues are rectified. After years of mounting public concern about the number of people dying or being seriously injured in collisions on Irish roads, attention will be on An Garda Síochána now. How will the force respond to the report's revelations? Role of supervisors And it's not only the actions of ordinary garda members patrolling the roads that will be under scrutiny, but also those of their supervisors. Frontline garda supervisors and managers have been 'shying away' from proactive management or confronting poor performance in roads policing, the report outlines. The main reason given for this reluctance to pull people up on poor work standards was a policy document from 2017 that said garda members' Performance and Learning Portfolios would not include numeric targets focused at an individual level, with targets instead set at a district level. This document was 'frequently cited' to the inquiry team as to why the performance of individual members was not routinely monitored or evaluated. Supervisors and managers also said that they believed any attempt to take a more proactive to performance management 'would create difficulties with the Garda Representative Association'. The report notes there was an 'inability (or unwillingness) of supervisors and more senior ranks to proactively supervise and manage the performance and productivity of Roads Policing Unit members'. Assistant Commissioner Paula Hilman and Deputy Commissioner Shawna Coxon at the report's launch today Lauren Boland / The Journal Lauren Boland / The Journal / The Journal Speaking to media at a press conference in Garda Headquarters this morning, Deputy Commissioner Shawna Coxon said that supervisors may have been reluctant to move straight to disciplinary procedures for poor-performing members but had little other recourse available to them – something which, she said, needed to change. She said it will be 'helpful' to provide a 'suite of options in front of supervisors who may have felt that moving to discipline was too harsh'. Outstanding questions There are several questions arising from the report that remain to be answered. It highlights, for instance, that RPU gardaí observed by the inquiry team appeared to have a higher tolerance for motorists driving above the speed limit than other types of gardaí. Related Reads Major traffic policing report: Inquiry team 'shocked' by lack of interest in job of some gardaí Roads-policing gardaí who were observed during the course of the inquiry tended to allow a speeding margin of around 20 kilometres per hour above the limit before they would arrest a driver for speeding. In contrast, the report says, observations at a District Court session indicated that motorists who had been stopped by 'regular' garda patrols were stopped and issued fines for speeding at much lower thresholds. Why the discrepancy? 'It was unclear to us why some RPU members appear to enforce speeding laws with a much higher level of tolerance than their 'regular' colleagues,' the inquiry team says in the report. Presenting the report to media at the press conference this morning, senior garda members detailed that the number of driving offences detected has risen in the first half of this year compared with the same period last year. But the question that remains, of course, is how many have been missed due to some officers' poor work ethic. A question was put to the senior gardaí from media present about whether poor performance by roads-policing members has cost people's lives. In response, Coxon said that roads policing is something that is 'taken quite seriously across the organisation' and that there was a reduction in the number of road fatalities last year compared with the previous year. 'Having said that, I don't think about it in the terms that you're asking,' Coxon said. 'If the number [of deaths] was one, I would still be concerned. They are life-altering to families and we're very well aware of that, so we are determined to move forward with respect to the recommendations in the report and make improvements.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Independent
27 minutes ago
- Irish Independent
Drew Harris showed ‘utter contempt' for some gardaí by ‘drip leaking' lines of report, GRA says
It found that a lack of sanctions for poor performance and the absence of effective management led to a "culture to take root' in roads policing units whereby some gardaí deliberately avoided traffic offences. It also found that resource issues, including some gardaí not being able to access training to drive roads policing cars, contributed to a lack of productivity. The Crowe Report did not uncover evidence of a systematic and organised culture of work avoidance, but found that a minority of gardaí were "able to get away with" being unproductive. It was commissioned by Garda chief Drew Harris after he received confidential correspondence in June 2023 which raised concerns about Roads Policing Units (RPU), with over 100 gardaí spoken to by consultants. Commissioner Harris said that the findings of the report were 'shocking and disturbing, particularly given the importance of this work in saving lives and preventing life-altering injures'. "While they found the majority of roads policing gardaí were professional, dedicated and productive, they also met a significant cohort of officers who are disinterested, have a poor work ethic and deliberately ignored offences. "Any members of An Garda Síochána – either Garda or supervisor – failing to perform their duties is a breach of trust with the public who depend on us to keep them safe. "We in An Garda Síochána must now all work collectively to rebuild that trust and continue the great work done by the majority of Gardaí every day to save lives and prevent injuries,' Commissioner Harris said. In response to the report and comments from Commission Harris, the Garda Representative Association (GRA) said it 'simply reflects the concerns and challenges' they have been highlighting for years. "A depleted Roads Policing Unit, lacking in proper training, resources and equipment has been effectively mismanaged and contaminated while morale is on the floor. "Despite all these challenges, this report states clearly that the majority of RPU members are productive, professional and focused on improving road safety, which is a testament to the work that they do. "The Garda Commissioner and the Chair of the PSCA in my view showed utter contempt and disregard for the integrity of these members by making comments that questioned the professionalism of the entire unit when drip leaking certain lines before the Crowe Report was published which gave an unfair slant to the entire findings. "This report concluded that while some members were demotivated by their working environment, they remained professional and productive and it found no evidence of work avoidance or deliberate poor performance. "This report refers to just six Divisions and only a small number of RPU were engaged with. The unfair leaking of selected quotes from this report caused a public outcry. It was not only damaging to members of Roads Policing units, but as referred to by the Commissioner, his supervisors and managers were unable or afraid to deal with those members. "The Garda Representative Association completely refutes such allegations. We work closely with supervisors and managers within An Garda Síochána and find those ranks to be competent and dedicated and it is an insult and an affront to all those that these allegations have been carelessly levied on all ranks. "Commissioner Harris had been in his position for over six years when he received the report from a whistleblower, and failed to remedy the matter if it did indeed exist, and moreover he employed an independent review by Crowe, thus abdicating his responsibility as Garda Commissioner. "This is not the first time our Commissioner had levied allegations against our members, however, it is the first time that the Garda Commissioner has apportioned unjust blame on all ranks below him of incompetence, inability and disinterest. "On behalf of our Association who represents rank and file members of An Garda Síochána, it must be abundantly clear as to why our members voted 98.7pc in the vote of no confidence against him. "We at the Garda Representative Association have long highlighted the concerns and issues correctly highlighted in the Crowe report, and I firmly believe that this report justifiably apportions blame where it actually should be, and that is with Commissioner Drew Harris, and is more damning of him than the members of RPU. "He has failed to address many, if not most of the issues we have repeatedly raised and instead, he has abdicated his responsibility in dealing with the allegations he raised and alleged, with damaging comments to the members of Roads Policing but also most distressing and damaging to members of the public. "Unfortunately, the Commissioner chose to release this report, which he has had since March of this year, just two weeks before he retires, causing division and adding further anger not just to GRA members but also to other ranks within Garda Síochána,' the GRA said. The full report, published this morning, found that some gardaí working in roads policing are unproductive, appear to be demotivated, and are unconcerned with doing an effective and professional job. It said that while this was a minority, it was 'nonetheless a noticeable one', although the report said that the majority of RPU members were productive, professional and focused on improving road safety. The report said that a minority were 'able to get away' with being unproductive 'to the frustration of their colleagues, supervisors and managers'. The Crowe Report says that at the heart of the problem is the interpretation of an internal garda policy known as PALF (Performance and Learning Framework). How this is being interpreted, to prevent supervisors from managing and evaluating individual roads policing gardaí, has been described as 'significantly frustrating the right of management to manage'. The reviewers observed a 'marked reluctance amongst supervisors to proactively manage their staff resources and to hold RPU members to account'. It added that there 'is a lack of effective sanctions' for poor performance with senior gardaí 'typically apprehensive that any attempt to invoke sanctions would create industrial relations problems with the GRA (Garda Representative Association). Multiple reporting lines for RPU Inspectors were also identified as a contributory factor, with the Crowe Report suggesting that a more effective reporting and governance strategy should be considered. 'We found no evidence of a systematic, organised culture of work avoidance or deliberately poor performance within Roads Policing, and no evidence of bullying or dominance of RPU members by their colleagues,' it said. 'However, the absence of effective supervision and management, caused in large measure by the interpretation of the PALF policy, creates the circumstances in which such a culture has been able to take root'. A significant number of vacancies within Roads Policing, which has dropped by 40pc since 2009, was also identified as a contributory factor to the lack of productivity. Driver training was also highlighted as an issue, with some roads policing gardaí 'unable to access driver training to enable them to drive Roads Policing vehicles'. The Crowe Report has recommended an immediate review of the PALF policy, and consideration should also be given to reporting and governance structures. In a message to gardaí, Drew Harris said it is 'very disappointing' that the examiners found 'a significant cohort of officers who are disinterested, have a poor work ethic, and deliberately ignored offences.' The Garda Commissioner also said that there needs to be a 'collective effort' by gardaí to deal with under-performance in roads policing. Commenting on resource issues highlighted, Mr Harris said that 49 additional roads policing gardaí have been allocated within the last year, with more to be allocated in the coming months. He added that €1m has been invested into road policing in the last 18 months with €5m in new fleet since 2022. The Policing and Community Safety Authority, who provide oversight of an Garda Síochána, said it was 'deeply concerned' at the contents of the report. 'The vast majority of Gardaí perform their duties to a very high standard and do their utmost to offer a first-class, modern policing service to the people of Ireland,' chairperson Elaine Byrne said. 'However, as this report shows, some have a blatant disregard for the job and its functions. They knew that they were being reviewed as part of this report on Roads Policing and yet they were openly hostile to doing their job. 'We are seriously concerned that there seemed to be a fear from some managers of managing performance. 'We welcome the fact that Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and his senior colleagues acted on the concerns expressed to him by a Garda member. This reflects a cultural change within the organisation, where uncomfortable truths are ones they have sought to confront rather than sweep under the carpet.'
RTÉ News
31 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
Crowe report highlights 'stretched and stressed workforce'
The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) has said the findings of the Crowe Report highlight a "stretched and stressed workforce" and a roads policing review "must be a catalyst for real change". The AGSI's comments follow the publication of the report into roads policing which has found that a number of gardaí are "unproductive" and appear to be demotivated and unconcerned with doing an effective, professional job. The Crowe Report, an independent review of the Roads Policing Unit to assess its effectiveness and integrity, was published this morning. In a statement, the AGSI said it is calling on garda management to deliver on the report's recommendations to strengthen supervision, reform performance policy, and properly resource the force. The association described the report as "a hard-hitting wake-up call for An Garda Síochána", and said it signals a strategic failure at senior management level. AGSI says the report reaffirms what it has been raising for years - that chronic manpower shortages, inadequate training, flawed strategic decisions, and an overemphasis on governance structures have left frontline gardaí undervalued and unsupported. AGSI President Declan Higgins said: "The Crowe report shows that the Garda Roads Policing Units have a solid, effective core which is deserving of support and praise. "However, it also highlights that there is a small minority that are demotivated and clearly demoralised. "This demoralisation within An Garda Síochána has been ignored by garda management and overseeing agencies for far too long. The AGSI also said the report's findings on morale, resourcing, and performance supervision are not isolated to Roads Policing, "but are indicative of larger, organisation-wide issues". The President of the Garda Representative Association (GRA) has said the Crowe Report states that it "found no evidence of systemic organised culture or work avoidance or deliberately poor performance in roads policing, so that in itself is counter to what we're hearing on the news today". Speaking on RTÉ's News at One Mark O'Meara said today's published report "is different to the initial report" findings that were circulating two weeks ago. Mr O'Meara said the report had been "drip fed" by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris. "That's what caused us great concern," he said. He said "commentary that came from the garda commissioner at the time ... caused such damage, and our members find that unforgivable," he said. Mr O'Meara said "six divisions were visited and engaged productively with the core report". "There was 100 to 120 members who were spoken to - the vast majority of those, as the report does quite clearly outline that they were productive, professional and focused on road safety - and that is hugely important. "But it also quite clearly points out to lack of training, lack of resourcing, [an] ageing fleet. These are all issues that we have raised repeatedly with the garda commissioner, this is what caused the vote of no confidence [in the Garda Commissioner] in the first place. "The report speaks of [a] small number of members who, as we have always highlighted are suffering from very, very low morale because of all of the issues that we have raised over the years. "As I said, to bureaucracy, poor morale, terms and conditions of employment, and these are all clearly highlighted in the report as well, and these would go on to affect the morale of those people concerned and those people who will exodus An Garda Síochána when the 30 years are up and they will have no incentive to stay behind. "And that causes morale issues for members in the Road Policing Unit. But this is the first time the garda commissioner has apportioned unjust blame on all ranks below him of incompetence, inability and disinterest." Call for extra resources and updated equipment for roads policing The Irish Road Victims Association has called for extra resources and updated equipment for roads policing. Leo Leighio, spokesperson for the victims group said families who have lost loved ones were "very disappointed that some gardaí were not pulling their weight". Speaking to RTÉ's News At One, Mr Leighio said: "They need to realise that every single life lost on the roads is major. "It's what we have always been saying, roads policing numbers needs to be increased." Mr Leighio said after reading today's Crowe report he believed the majority of gardaí were committed to saving lives on Ireland's roads. However he said a small number "don't think peoples lives are worth doing their jobs for". "It's what we have always been saying, roads policing numbers needs to be increased." He said he is concerned about the effect of today's report on road users. He said road users already think they can get away with anything they want and that "confidence in the garda roads policing unit has to be re-earned". Mr Leighio said families were depending on the new garda commissioner and the superintendents to bring about change. "I have full confidence that the new commissioner will do his job," he said. It has been 20 years since Leo Leighio's 16-year-old daughter Marsia was killed in a hit and run incident. Reflecting on this today he said: "It's a life long sentence, we go though it every day. when we hear things like this it sets us back and upsets us." Crowe report 'very serious' - minister Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary has said the Crowe Report is "very serious". Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, he said: "Minister [for Justice] Jim O'Callaghan has engaged with the garda commissioner on the report. "It's important to emphasise that the report says that this is a minority [of unproductive members], but it's a minority that has to be dealt with. "I think in relation to the disciplinary issues, there are new regulations, Minister Jim O'Callaghan introduced in April of this year under the Policing Security Community Safety Act that will strengthen the whole area of discipline. "But again, it's important to emphasise that the vast majority of gardaí in Roads Policing are committed to their job, the minority have to be dealt with, they have to be engaged [with]. The importance of this work cannot be overstated. "And the difference that work makes to communities, makes to families is absolutely extraordinary. "The new garda commissioner is very aware of the minister's concerns of the report. Officials from the Department of Justice are engaging with garda management around the report to ensure that the findings are implemented. And to ensure that there is a change arising out of it. "But I want to absolutely reassure people, roads policing is taken very seriously and the vast majority of members of An Garda Síochána who are involved in roads policing are professional and exceptionally committed to their jobs," Mr O'Calleary added.
