Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy has rejected criticism by the Chairman of the Garda Complaints board that the force has an inability to apologise for mistakes.
Dr Gordon Holmes made the comment yesterday as the Complaints Board published its annual report for 2006.
In a statement today, Mr Conroy says that in many instances individual gardaí or the Garda Síochána organisation itself have apologised for wrong-doings.
However, Mr Conroy added that such apologies would be made only if they did not affect any future legal proceedings.
In his report yesterday, Dr Holmes also said many complaints made against the gardaí are by people who are frequently too drunk to remember what happened.
Dr Holmes said that a much higher percentage of complaints were made against gardaí who enforce the penalty points system by people upset by the penalties imposed.
