AN INDEPENDENT report into the handling of 999 calls by members of An Garda Síochána has found that training in call taking a dispatch was extensive, and members of the force should have know the limited circumstances in which calls could be cancelled.
It comes after an internal garda review previously found that more than 200,000 calls were cancelled over a two-year period between 2019 and 2020.
It says policies and procedures were in place that should have identified unwarranted cancelled incidents.
"This would suggest that supervision, quality assurance checks and procedures for the performance management of individuals within regional control rooms and local stations were either not followed or not effective."
The Policing Authority published the independent interim report on the preliminary examination of the issue today, and also found in some cases that incidents provided by callers was not accurately recorded and that the absence of call recording at local stations was "a serious vulnerability".
It said some "callers could not be re-contacted" and some "remain unidentified" meaning gardaí were "unable to provide a service."
It described current levels of supervision, quality assurance checks and the performance management of individual members within the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) and the other three regional control rooms as "weak".
The report was led by Derek Penman, former Chief Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland.
Recommendations include the undertaking of "an urgent review to ensure that effective supervision, quality assurance and robust performance management processes for individual members are in place for all regional control rooms and local call taking and dispatch arrangements."
A call recording strategy that meets operational needs and provides safeguards to the public should also be developed.
The Policing Authority is later meeting Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to discuss the findings and recommendations in the report.
See More: 999, An Garda Síochána, Drew Harris
