GARDA boss Drew Harris has warned that Gerry Hutch’s hefty general election vote shows that society has an attitude problem towards criminality.
The Commissioner says he has no idea why more than 3,000 people voted for a veteran criminal.
But he reminded the public that The Monk is facing an organised crime investigation and Gardai are assisting the Spanish authorities in the inquiry.
He said: “The motives of why people may have voted for him are not clear to me.
“But I do think that there’s something that has to be addressed in terms of those 3,000 votes.”
The top cop added: “I don’t think anybody could have been ignorant of Gerard Hutch and all that he’s been associated with down through the years.
“So I don’t actually think it’s a problem of information.
“I do actually think it’s a problem not just for An Garda Siochana, I think this is a societal problem about our attitude towards criminality.
“I think that’s the most concerning thing in this.”
Taoiseach Simon Harris has said there should be reflection on people’s “disaffection” from politics after Hutch narrowly missed out on being elected in Dublin Central.
Transfers put him on 5,321 votes by the eleventh and final count, finishing just behind Labour’s Marie Sherlock on 6,102 votes.
Dubliner Hutch, 61, has been described in court by a judge as the patriarchal figurehead of the Hutch criminal organisation.
He announced his surprise candidature after arriving back in Ireland following his arrest in Spain last month as part of an international investigation into money laundering. He was reportedly released on bail of €100,000.
Speaking at the Templemore Garda College, Taoiseach Harris suggested Hutch almost received more media attention than the leaders of political parties.
He said: “Criminality isn’t celebrity, it’s something that brings pain, misery and suffering to communities.
“I think for those of us in politics, I think we do need to reflect on the disaffection that sometimes people can feel from the political system, and sometimes that communities can feel from the political system.”
