Topics discussed were the recent health workers strike, defence forces pay, the public procurement process and the role of the Gardai and GSOC

 
Serious questions raised on Harris’ actions in several high profile cases whilst in the PSNI
Press Release
People before Profit TD Brid Smith called on Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan to postpone the appointment of Drew Harris as Garda Commissioner until serious questions on his role in a number of high profile cases in the North are answered.
Deputy Smith told the Dail today that Stephen Travers, the only survivor of the Miami Showband massacre, and Eugene Reavey, whose three brothers were also killed by the so called Glenane gang, were in the Dail to listen to the debate. “They desperately want the minister to postpone the appointment until Drew Harris answers questions they have in relation to the murder of their loved ones and the allegations of state collusion in them” said deputy Smith.
The TD also invited the Justice Minister and Drew Harris to meet with survivors and relatives at an event to commemorate the 43rd anniversary of the show band massacre later this month.

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Press Release

Harris has been widely criticised by victims groups of state/loyalist violence
Bríd Smith TD  of People Before Profit has called on the Government to withdraw the appointment of Drew Harris as the Garda Commissioner, calling the appointment an insult to all victims of state collusion with loyalist violence.
Mr Harris has been widely criticised by families who have been affected by state/loyalist violence in Northern Ireland.
Bríd Smith TD said: “We oppose the appointment of Drew Harris to the position of Garda Commissioner because of the very serious allegations of obstructing the search for truth and justice in regard to state and loyalist violence in the North.”

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Press Release- Bríd Smith TD, People Before Profit    09/03/2018
Deputy Smith has asked the Minister for Justice to clarify if the unlawful killing of Shane O’Farrell was one of those cases misclassified on the Garda Pulse system.
The TD submitted a Parliamentary question following last weeks revelations from the Dail committee on Justice which heard evidence from two civilian members of the force about the wide-spread misclassification of homicide cases by Gardai on the Pulse system.

Shane’s mother Lucia Farrell has asked the Garda to clarify this but has so far received no answer from the authorities.

Shane was killed in a hit and run incident which has been the subject of calls for a public inquiry and is presently still under investigation with GSOC after six years.

Lucia has campaigned to raise awareness of Shane’s death and the subsequent Garda investigation and criminal proceedings.

Deputy Smith stated: “The state has treated the family of Shane very poorly and failed them on a number of occasions. They deserve an answer to the simple question was Shane’s case one of those misclassified or not?”

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I was the Late Debate on radio 1 a few days ago. I had said that if I had a gun I’d have shot up the Dáil – problem was that if I did, I wouldn’t have hit many. On the day when SEANIE FITZPATRICK GOT AWAY WITH THE BIGGEST BANK JOB IN HISTORY, homeless children were sleeping in Garda stations and in parks. And practically no-one in the Dáil to raise a word of protest. How many would have been there if they were voting a pay-rise for themselves, I wonder