Micheál Martin has rejected calls for an inquiry into why the Director of Public Prosecutions chose to prosecute a retired garda and seven serving officers in Limerick, reports RTE.
He said the Government cannot interfere with decisions made by the DPP, reports RTE.
Four serving gardaí and a retired superintendent were acquitted by a jury of 39 charges relating to alleged unlawful interference in road traffic prosecutions following an eight-week trial in January.
Earlier this week, the State also dropped all charges against three other gardaí, reports RTE.
All seven serving officers have since been reinstated to their positions.
The Garda Representative Association has called for an independent public inquiry into how the prosecutions were handled, reports RTE.
Speaking on Live 95, Mr Martin acknowledged that morale within the force in Limerick has been affected by the cases.
However, he said the matters had been dealt with through the courts and that a public inquiry “cannot be the reflex to every issue”, reports RTE.
He stressed that the DPP operates independently and that this principle must be upheld.
“The last thing we need is a drawn-out public inquiry,” he added, reports RTE.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
