Family of murdered garda seeks inquiry into issued gun holster

The brother of murdered Detective Garda Colm Horkan has called for a public inquiry into An Garda Síochána's issuing of allegedly defective leather handgun holsters.

Speaking publicly for the first time about their concerns since his brother's murder in 2020, Dermot Horkan said recent revelations about the handling of Garda whistleblower complaints about the holsters had raised serious questions for his family.

Detective Horkan was shot dead by Stephen Silver in Castlerea, Co Roscommon, in June 2020, after Silver took the detective's official firearm from its holster.

Concerns have since been raised that the holsters provided to members by An Garda Síochána were not safe or secure, and that Garda management had been warned about related design specification issues before Detective Horkan's murder.

The handling of a protected disclosure relating to the holsters was among the issues examined in a recent RTÉ Investigates programme, which featured allegations that reforms introduced to protect Garda whistleblowers had been undermined by senior management.

When asked what he hoped a public inquiry would establish, Mr Horkan raised questions about the procurement and replacement of the holsters.

"What was the correct procedure [for] procurement of the holsters? [For] what reason did they delay the replacement of the holsters?" he asked.

"I'm sure there's a lot more that we don't even know yet," he added.

He said the revelations in the recent RTÉ Investigates programme featuring Garda whistleblowers had heightened the family's concerns.

"If they hadn't come out, would we ever have known anything about it?" Dermot asked.

Mr Horkan described the family's search for answers as "never-ending".

He said the family had written to the Minister for Justice on two occasions about their concerns, but had received only acknowledgements of their correspondence and no substantive response.

In a statement issued this evening, Detective Horkan's family said several people, including those who had made protected disclosures, had repeatedly raised concerns that the holster was faulty and not fit for purpose.

It said complaints and disclosures about the equipment had been made before Detective Horkan's murder.

The family also referred to Detective Garda Edward Connell, who suffered life-changing injuries in an incident involving the same type of holster just six days before Colm Horkan was shot dead.

The family statement was issued on behalf of Detective Horkan's father, sister, and three brothers. It cites media reporting and whistleblower allegations in relation to Det Garda Horkan's murder.

"It is clear" the statement says, "that the authorities were on notice of serious issues concerning the holster."

Independent Senator Michael McDowell has previously called for a full, independent investigation into the handling of protected disclosures within An Garda Síochána.

Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan has so far rejected calls for a public inquiry into the wider whistleblower allegations.

In its statement, the Horkan family said it had no confidence that they would ever know the truth without an independent public inquiry.

"We want this for Colm but also so the public at large will know how these matters are dealt with and what happens to people such as these protected disclosers when they seek to raise matters within State bodies and in particular, An Garda Síochána," it said.

Dermot Horkan said the past six years had been extremely difficult for the family, who had endured two trials and continued to face further legal proceedings.

He said gardaí should be able to go to work knowing their equipment was fit for purpose and that procedures were in place to ensure their safety.

"Unfortunately, Colm didn't come home safely. And, you know, we have to deal with that every day," he said.

Mr Horkan appealed to the Minister for Justice and the Taoiseach to establish an inquiry.

"If there's no fear or there's nothing to hide, I can't see any reason why there shouldn't be a public inquiry," he said.