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McEntee 'can't guarantee' 999 calls won't be cancelled again

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has said that she cannot guarantee that some 999 calls will no...
Mairead Maguire
Mairead Maguire

09.09 30 Sep 2022


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McEntee 'can't guarantee' 999...

McEntee 'can't guarantee' 999 calls won't be cancelled again

Mairead Maguire
Mairead Maguire

09.09 30 Sep 2022


Share this article


Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has said that she cannot guarantee that some 999 calls will not be cancelled again. 

It comes as the Policing Authority finds substantial shortcomings in the handling of 999 calls leading to the “potential for serious harm to victims.”

According to the review, An Garda Síochána cancelled many calls and mishandled others.

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More than 3,000 of the cancelled calls related to domestic violence.

Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Minister McEntee said the findings were "not good enough".

"It's really important that people have confidence in the system."

"Can I say that this will never happen again? No, I can't."

"What we have is a report here which clearly outlines that there have been really disappointing situations where people have not been treated in the way that they should, that they have not been responded to", she said.

"We don't know for certain if that has resulted in people being hurt further or issues that may have arisen from it."

The report found that some Gardaí had a lack of empathy on the phone to victims.

In some cases there were no contact details taken from the caller and their vulnerability wasn't assessed.

Confidence in Gardaí

Despite the findings, Minister McEntee said that going forward she has "confidence that people will be responded to and that they will be treated appropriately".

"Can I say that this will never happen again? No, I can't."

"But I can promise you that I will do everything on my part and use the recommendations in this report and will be acted on." 

Minister McEntee believes that what's needed is better training and more Gardaí in call centres under greater supervision.

"It's about making sure that, no matter what the situation, that a particular protocol is followed", she said.

"I need to make sure as Minister that this reports and every single recommendation in it implemented, that the Gardaí do everything they can to improve the structure and that we continuously monitor to make sure things don't happen again."

'Attitudinal issue'

Newstalk Breakfast presenter Ciara Kelly asked the Minister whether there is an "attitudinal issue" among some Gardaí when it comes to domestic violence.

"We have a huge amount of work to do in changing how people do in changing how people view domestic violence, that it's not just an issue in families [saying] 'Oh sure, they'll be fine. We'll leave them to it'", the Minister said.

"I don't think everybody has gotten to the stage where they see the crimes as it is and unfortunately, yes, that probably means that there were still members An Garda Síochána who might have that view."

She stressed, however, that it's a "very small number" of Gardaí and most respond with compassion.

 

 


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