A chara
In an article on the appointment of Drew Harris as Garda Commissioner (Analysis: Garda commissioner appointment ‘like Man City signing the Man Utd manager’, Irish Examiner, 30 June) your Security Correspondent, Cormac O’Keefe, reported on misgivings expressed by Irish security sources concerning the appointment.
He reported that in 2012 Mr Harris put late evidence into the Smithwick Tribunal, set up to examine claims of collusion by a garda in the IRA murders of two RUC officers in1989. Irish security sources, reportedly, told the Irish Examiner that this late intervention “aggravated and annoyed” Garda security services who said that no evidence was produced to back up the claim.
Regardless of the rights and wrongs of that particular case the fact remains that the officer who has just been appointed Garda Commissioner, and therefore head of the Irish security services, was in active dispute with our security service on behalf of the UK State a few short years ago. That there is a degree of cooperation between the security services of Ireland and the UK does not mean that their differing allegiances have disappeared.
The problem is compounded by a prevailing view in governing circles that the national tradition should no longer be celebrated. It is most unlikely that this anti-national viewpoint will amount to more than a passing fad. Like all nation states worthy of the name the Irish State needs to honour its origins and in no area is that more important than in the conservative area of national security. Personnel of the defence and security forces, necessarily, must pledge allegiance to the State.
Mr Harris is not responsible for the anti-national view that unfortunately continues to have influence in our Republic but its existence makes his appointment more problematic. The Irish public needs to know that the security services are run by officers loyal to the national tradition of the State.
Yours etc
Dave Alvey
Irish Political Review Group
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