A former Assistant Garda Commissioner has donated a significant portion of his legal settlement to charity after successfully challenging his suspension by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.
Fintan Fanning, who is now pursuing studies to become a deacon in the Catholic Church, received damages and legal fees that reportedly cost the State approximately โฌ250,000.
Harris suspended Fanning and removed him from his position as Assistant Commissioner for the Eastern Region in January 2019 after the Garda Sรญochรกna Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) initiated an investigation based on allegations in a protected disclosure from another garda.
Following Fanning’s High Court challenge, he was reinstated the next month. GSOC subsequently informed the Commissioner that Fanning was no longer subject to a criminal investigation.
Fanning has consistently maintained that his suspension was “unlawful, unprecedented and bizarre.” The High Court heard that Commissioner Harris had told Fanning the suspension was necessary due to a GSOC criminal investigation regarding alleged misconduct in public office.
While scheduled for court on March 4, the case was settled through negotiations between both parties, covering damages and legal costs. A non-disclosure agreement prevents revealing details about the use of public funds in the settlement.
Fanning, who was represented by a legal team including a solicitor, barrister, and senior counsel, has declined to comment on the case initially reported by The Sunday Times. RTร News has learned that he donated a substantial amount of his damages to local and homeless charities.
He is now studying for the Catholic diaconate, which will allow him to perform baptisms, distribute the Eucharist, and officiate marriages.
When contacted, Garda Headquarters stated they could not comment on specific matters covered by confidentiality arrangements.
The Garda Representative Association has strongly criticized Commissioner Harris’s approach to discipline and suspension, claiming too many gardaรญ face excessive suspensions on “spurious” grounds. Public concern grew after a garda was suspended for four years for loaning an unclaimed bicycle to a farmer during the pandemic. That officer has since been reinstated, with Harris acknowledging the difficulty faced by the garda and his family.
The State also settled a case last year with former Chief Superintendent Pat Diskin, who challenged his suspension by Harris. Details of that settlement remain undisclosed. At least two other current and former gardaรญ are pursuing High Court challenges against suspensions ordered by Commissioner Harris.
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