Short-staffed forensics lab forced to drop third of cases
A severe shortage of forensic staff is seriously weakening the prospects of successful detection and prosecution of crime.
That is the damning finding of an international expert in a report commissioned by the Government.
The report, published last night revealed that a staggering 33pc of all cases submitted by the gardai to the Forensic Science Laboratory are not fully processed.
Professor Ingvar Kopp, former director of the Swedish forensic science laboratory, headed a review of the Irish laboratory's operations and analysed its resource needs.
He said the laboratory had traditionally not had the resources to satisfy the forensic demand of the gardai.
This meant that between 2000 and 2006 about a third of all cases submitted were not processed.
He said there were also good grounds for concluding that there was suppressed demand for certain laboratory services, particularly in the areas of drug and DNA analysis.
In other areas the laboratory was also restrained from providing a full service because of limitations on resources.
Since the review began, staffing levels at the laboratory have been increased by more than 40pc in the past year including an announcement yesterday by Justice Minister Brian Lenihan of the creation of an additional 20 posts, bringing the personnel strength to over a hundred.
Department officials pointed out that many of the initial prints or samples submitted by the gardai for analysis were no longer relevant following a prioritisation of cases and this would explain some of the discrepancy between the number of cases submitted and processed.
Weakened
But Professor Kopp said that notwithstanding the priority arrangements, the gardai would undoubtedly prefer to have the cases they submitted examined.
"The only conclusion can be that the detection and prosecution of crime is weakened as a consequence.
"This is particularly so in the drug analysis cases, where a certificate is required for prosecution", he added.
- Tom Brady Security Editor
