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OFFICE OF THE MINISTER FOR JUSTICE AND EQUALITY

Dear Mr. McWeeney,

I refer to your complaint relating to Garda misconduct. Your complaint was referred to the Independent Review Mechanism established by the Government. The purpose of the Independent Review Mechanism was to provide an independent assessment of outstanding allegations of Garda misconduct.

A panel of barristers was appointed to conduct the review. Their role was to review the correspondence and other documentation in each case, examine the action that had already been taken in relation to the issues raised, and advise what further action, if any, might be appropriate.

With regard to your complaint, councel summarised the issues as relating to your suspension from a swimming pool in January 2013 on foot of complaints Francis Sheridan Frank Sheridan Francis Sheridan https://www.facebook.com/ThePhoenixMagazine/posts/793100590707225 https://twitter.com/thephoenixmag/status/425221171408142337 Longford County Council Longford County Council http://longfordcoco.ie/ Longford County Council Great Water Street Longford Co. Longford N39 NH56 Ireland 043 3343000 Longford Sports and Leisure http://longfordsportsandleisure.ie/ County Longford Sports and Leisure Centre Public Sports Facility The Mall Longford Co. Longford Ireland 043 3346536 043 3346431 longfordsportscentre@eircom.net http://longfordsportsandleisure.ie/other/images/building_sm.jpg 1 Longford County Library Longford County Library Longford County Library Town Centre Longford Co. Longford Ireland 043 3340727 library@longfordcoco.ie http://www.longfordlibrary.ie/ https://www.facebook.com/longfordlibraries/ https://twitter.com/Longfordlibrary https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVa8Z_ohzcuhS530lvJRtng https://vimeo.com/longfordlibrary made David Sheridan David Sheridan Director http://shipmytribike.ie/ https://www.facebook.com/people/David-Sheridan/509710707 https://ie.linkedin.com/in/david-sheridan-2b814968 https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CQYjh1VWoAAeeYP.jpg AAEAAQAAAAAAAAO0AAAAJDA5MmNlZmUyLWExNTMtNDQ4OC05ZmE0LWJkNzAyMjU3MDg5Mg.jpg http://www.ibye.ie/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/LEO-MN-9047-David-Sheridan.jpg https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BQUsuPhCcAEdouc.jpg http://www.longfordleader.ie/resizer/750/563/true/imported_images/20211af4fb26835f8a81661d70985759.jpg--david_sheridan_of_ship_my_tri_bike_.jpg https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.6568111,-7.7084984,3a,75y,90h,78.95t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sqbxu3-iUb9chDfH3CJAVfQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 Ship My Tri Bike Ship My Tri Bike Suite 17, Redleaf House, Townspark, Co. Longford, Ireland http://shipmytribike.ie/> https://www.facebook.com/shipmy.tribike/ https://www.facebook.com/739685492770783/photos/1146730052066323/ 0 (083)3068781 https://www.google.ie/maps/place/Redleaf+House,+Townparks,+Longford/@53.7242402,-7.8034786,15z/ by Dan Rooney Dan Rooney (043)3341470 Knockahaw, Dublin Road, Longford https://ie.linkedin.com/in/dan-rooney-23291431 https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.7237069,-7.7801794,3a,60y,180h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s6KzPuGrC8gSRpZm_lBMcAg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 Longford Town Council Longford Town Council http://www.longfordcoco.ie/longfordtowncouncil.htm Longford Town Council 2014-06-01 Noleen Rooney Noeleen Rooney Noeleen Rooney (043)3341470 noeleenrooney@gaelic.ie Knockahaw, Dublin Road, Longford https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.7237069,-7.7801794,3a,60y,180h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s6KzPuGrC8gSRpZm_lBMcAg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 Scoil Eimear Scoil Eimear Longford, Ireland http://homepage.eircom.net/~scoileimear/ scoileimear.ias@eircom.net (043) 3341188 Janet McWeeney Janet McWeeney Janet McWeeney Melview, Longford http://www.facebook.com/janet.mcweeney.71 https://twitter.com/janet_mcweeney https://plus.google.com/103458702149776151915 http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/oo147/padraic17/CD4DidiFotoFrame/May2008085.jpg http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/oo147/padraic17/CD4DidiFotoFrame/June-July2008450.jpg http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/oo147/padraic17/CD4DidiFotoFrame/June-July2008112.jpg https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CWlJefcWsAA-3V6.jpg https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.7591374,-7.7882166,3a,60y,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sCugZpUpHWeYECSNPD_YRXQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.7592479,-7.7880769,3a,30y,301.44h,92.76t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sCxb_2e0EQep4SCbti_skMQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 Padraic McWeeney Padraic McWeeney Padraic McWeeney Teacher https://ie.linkedin.com/in/padraic-mcweeney-8b6456a6 https://www.facebook.com/public/Padraic-McWeeney https://twitter.com/padraicmcweeney http://s370.photobucket.com/user/padraic17/profile/ http://http://www.stmelscollege.ie/staff/ http://https://plus.google.com/108371234081093300747 padraicmcweeney@yahoo.ie http://www.longfordleader.ie/resizer/750/-1/false/1508323984702.JPG--longford_community_games.JPG?1508323987000 http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/oo147/padraic17/CD4DidiFotoFrame/OctNov2008098.jpg http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/oo147/padraic17/CD4DidiFotoFrame/May2008103.jpg http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/oo147/padraic17/CD4DidiFotoFrame/P1310062.jpg http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/oo147/padraic17/CD4DidiFotoFrame/July2008067.jpg http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/oo147/padraic17/CD4DidiFotoFrame/June-July2008243.jpg http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/oo147/padraic17/Japan%202006/P7220397.jpg http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/oo147/padraic17/Japan%202006/P7220405.jpg http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/oo147/padraic17/Japan%202006/P7210342.jpg http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/oo147/padraic17/Japan%202006/P7220395.jpg http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/oo147/padraic17/Japan%202006/P7170166.jpg http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/oo147/padraic17/Japan%202006/P7170166.jpg http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/oo147/padraic17/Japan%202006/P7170184.jpg http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/oo147/padraic17/Japan%202006/P7160149.jpg http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/oo147/padraic17/Japan%202006/P7160148.jpg https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.7591374,-7.7882166,3a,60y,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sCugZpUpHWeYECSNPD_YRXQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 St. Mels College Longford, Ireland http://stmelscollege.ie stmels@stmelscollege.ie (043) 3346469 (043) 3346905 Scoil Eimear Scoil Eimear Longford, Ireland http://homepage.eircom.net/~scoileimear/ scoileimear.ias@eircom.net (043) 3341188 Longford Swimming Club Longford Swimming Club The Mall, Longford, Ireland http://longfordswimmingclub.com https://www.facebook.com/LongfordSwimmingClub/ https://twitter.com/LongfordSC persons Brian Gorman Brian Gorman Carpenter, Joiner https://www.facebook.com/brian.gorman.129 http://bestsmallcountry.ie/images/sitelogo.png http://bestsmallcountry.ie/video/vid_20160327_194333.png https://scontent.fdub1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-1/p160x160/12038189_515237341975538_7155424719384826333_n.jpg?oh=da0f09c04edc2207ed3e2b54e1134be2&oe=5A792841 Lough Rynn Gatehouse Bed and Breakfast Lough Rynn Gatehouse B&B Rynn Mohill Co. Leitrim Ireland (086)8568284 http://www.loughrynngatehousebandb.ie/ https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.904477,-7.850177,17z https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/10/61/68/ab/lough-rynn-gatehouse.jpg https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-f/08/46/f8/e2/lough-rynn-gatehouse.jpg https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-w/10/61/68/41/b-b-grounds.jpg https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/10/61/68/89/outdoor-dining-area-covered.jpg https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/10/61/68/96/hall.jpg https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/10/61/68/9e/lough-rynn-gatehouse.jpg https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/10/61/68/a5/lough-rynn-gatehouse.jpg https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/10/61/7a/28/b-b-grounds.jpg 50 as to your behaviour in the pool in late 2012. Counsel noted that Gardai become involved in March 2013 upon a request from the Town Clerk to remove you from the pool. Counsel noted your complaint of public officials having the ability to "misdeploy" Gardai. Counsel also noted that you state that a Garda made a particular comment while removing you from a park the Garda Commissioner and the local Superintendent and that you are not happy with the manner in which your complaint has been handled.

Having considered the papers in your case, counsel does not recommend further action by the Minister. In coming to this view, counsel notes that Gardai are obliged to take whatever action they deem necessary on foot of complaints made to them by members of the public, including public officials. The conduct of individual Gardai is the responsibility of the Garda Commissioner. The Minister has no powers to direct Gardai in relation to the manner in which they deal with individual cases. If you are unhappy with the manner in which Gardai deal with a particular situation or of their subsequent actions, an independent complaints procedure exists by way of the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC). GSOC is independent in it's functions and the Minister cannot intervene in GSOC investigations at any stage of seek to influence the outcome of any GSOC investigation. Alternatively, counsel has suggested that you may wish to obtain independent legal advice in relaation to these matters.

The Minister has asked me to let you know that she has accepted the recommendation of the counsel.

It is very important to understand that the decision not to recommend any further action by the Minister in this case relates only to any powers which the Minister may exercise. It remains open to you, where you suspect or have evidence of criminality or other wrongdoing to bring this to the attention of the relevant authority for proper investigation.

Finally, the Minister has asked me to inform you that she has asked counsel, in addition to making recommendations in individual cases, to produce a general overview of the issues and trends identified as a result of te review of all the cases referred to them. The Minister believes that this will inform consideration of changes in practices and procedures in handling similar issues in the future. The minister will publish the report when she receives it.