'Machines don't lie... We'll get to the bottom of it' - Garda Chief

A major audit is underway with several senior gardai appointed to examine and extrapolate evidence of any impropriety regarding roadside breath tests in the Cavan-Monaghan Garda Division. The latest embarrassing scandal to engulf the force comes after revelations that nearly one million breath-tests recorded nationally over the past five years never actually happened.

The internal investigation will see all Dräger alcohol and drug testing devices collected today (Wednesday, April 5) when the data contained will be assessed over the coming weeks. That will then be compared to the number of disposable mouth pieces being ordered compared to the number of tests recorded on Pulse.
Confirmation of the process was given by Cavan-Monaghan Garda Chief Superintendent Christopher Mangan in a statement before last Friday afternoon's meeting of the county Joint Policing Committee at Cavan Courthouse. He told the meeting: 'Machines don't lie. We'll get to the bottom of it if there is anything found.'
He added too that it was of the utmost importance that the rights of all the persons of the State are upheld by gardai.
Chief Supt Mangan's frank and candid assessment of the current controversy caught many JPC members by surprise, who perhaps believed going into the meeting that the senior garda would refer to ongoing investigations as an 'operational' matter. Instead, responding to the question tabled by Sinn Féin's Noel Connell, he launched into a detailed account of how the assessment of testing equipment will take place. He also outlined how there will be no hiding place for those involved in 'falsifying' test results, and put up an ardent defence for officers putting their lives on the line who find their reputations sullied as a result of the latest debacle.
Afterwards, he informed The Anglo-Celt: 'It's my responsibility. I'm in charge of all guards working in the Cavan and Monaghan areas and if I find if things haven't been done right I will correct it, its as simple as that.'
Chief Supt Mangan added that should evidence of falsified information be uncovered, he will demand to know how and why it occurred.
'We can't stand for that. I want to find out how or why this has happened if it has happened. If records have been falsified then how can we have plans, and at a basic level how can we plan out our weekly and daily work? It certainly of very, very serious concern what is out there. I have appointed an Inspector and a Sergeant to examine the position as it pertains to this policing area, and that has already started.'
Accepting it was 'not a good position' for the force to be in at the present time, having to defend its credibility, he however rounded on the 'frenzied' media coverage to date, and outlined as he had in the meeting,that it overshadowed the often dangerous duty carried out by gardai on a daily basis.
Chief Supt Mangan outlined how, in recent weeks one member of An Garda Siochána in the division had been knocked down by a vehicle which failed to stop at a checkpoint, requiring 10-stitches to his head, and that this member had since returned to work. In another case, two gardai stopping a car locally were set upon and received injuries after they were attacked by the four occupants. 'They're not out shirking their responsibilities, I can tell you that. I see [gardai] on the N2 and N3 doing their job. They are working hard. There are matters that need to be addressed and I'll certainly address them,' he told JPC members, noting that his support was not to detract from the seriousness of the discrepancy scandal. 'There are people out there doing fantastic work on a daily basis and I don't want to see that disregarded.'
At national level there are proposals before Government for an independent root and branch review of the force following the recent controversies over breath tests and road traffic convictions.
More than 14,500 people are to have road traffic convictions quashed after it emerged that fixed charge notices were never issued in the first place.
According to the most recent available court figures, a total of 19 drink driving cases were struck out at Cavan District Court in 2015 due to non-service of a summons, with a further 14 last year.
There was one at Virginia District Court in 2015, seven in 2016 and two to date in 2017.
Similar figures were recorded at Monaghan District Court where there were six cases struck out due to non-service of a summons in 2015 and nine in 2016, while there was just one such case dismissed at Carrickmacross District Court in 2016.