Crunch time for Feehily as new era begins for policing in Ireland

The Gardaí are in a period of flux and the Policing Authority faces extinction. But Josephine Feehily says ignoring the authority would be a grave mistake due to its swingeing powers

Josephine Feehily: the Policing Authority chairperson calls the authority’s Code of Ethics ‘our proudest achievement’ PIC: Bryan Meade

‘Business as usual” is the message from Josephine Feehily. In front of the Policing Authority chairperson in her office in Smithfield, Dublin, is a one-page factsheet, a sort of snapshot review of the watchdog’s work in 2018.

Enumerated are the public meetings with Garda top brass, the interaction with various stakeholders and specialist units, the promotion statistics all anchored to the core job of “consistently holding the Garda Commissioner and the Garda Síochána ...