METRO Friday, December 4, 2009 D Gardai are likened to a secret police transparency is not in the interests of garda and certainly not in the inter- ests of broader society which should be able to discuss and critique all as- pects of policing openly. Since Judge Morris documented the corruption and negligence among some officers in Donegal, a raft of re- forms including a Garda Inspectorate and Ombudsman have been set up. But Prof Walsh highlighted a human rights audit from 2002 by Ionann Management Consultants which called for the Garda Code to be pub- lished. One of the recommendations was greater transparency in public. They said the code should be published. The Garda have not done that and continue to maintain the traditional secrecy, he said. There is a secrecy in respect of some matters that should be known. The Garda Code contains hundreds of pages of detail on rules and regula- tions, operations and intelligence and information gathering. We all depend on policing for our freedom. How that is delivered has a critical bearing on us, if we dont know how that is done, we are not in a position to critique it, Prof Walsh said. Information is vital to the func- tion of democracy. MENU the Home Digest 4 Guilty Pleasures Celebrity gossip 6 World Digest 12 MetroLife At the movies 14-15 60 Second Interview David McWilliams 16 TV 16-17 Puzzles & Letters 18-19 Classifieds 20 Sport 21-24 Help keep Dublin clean and tidy for everyone by taking your Metro with you and recycling it Pay boost for Luas workers WORKERS on the Luas are to get salary increases of at least 11.5 per cent over the next five years. Workers voted narrowly in favour of the agreement, which also gives them the right to strike under certain circumstances, an extra lump-sum payment of 750 and annual bonuses of up to 6.25 per cent. In a letter to staff, managing director of Luas operator Veolia Transport Brian Brennan said the company would be facing difficult times over the next few years. Its fee from the Rail Procurement Agency will be six per cent less next year, Mr Brennan said, because of its linking to the Consumer Price Index, but staff costs will rise by 3.5 per cent. He also said contracts for new lines to the Docklands, Cherrywood and Citywest were won on less favourable terms than existing lines. The salaries of Luas drivers start at 35,000 a year. only going to maintain a public sector that is not prepared to share the pain with the rest of society. Environment Minister John Gorm- ley also warned the Taoiseach must take a tougher line ahead of next Wednesdays Budget. With the Government facing back- bench opposition to plans for unpaid leave in the public service, the Green Party leader vowed the overall 4bil- lion savings would have to be met. Despite the breakthrough sabbatical proposal, unions and Government ne- gotiators remained locked in talks over how to find the required 1.3bil- lion public pay cuts. Mr Gormley said: We are absolute- ly determined to reach the 4billion mark; we will do that because we have to have credibility. Lets not overripe this issue. Several backbench Fianna Fil TDs vented their opposition to the sabbati- cal plans over speculation the 1.3bil- lion target could be dropped. Although unions deferred a second national strike set for yesterday, Taoi- seach Brian Cowen cautioned no final deal had yet been agreed. Irish Nurses Organisation chief Liam Doran hit out at those critical of the unpaid leave proposal. But Fine Gael criticised the plans as inequitable and disruptive, claiming they would take 250million man hours out of the public service, with low- and high-paid public servants all tak- ing the same pay cut. This means fewer garda on the beat, fewer hospital appointments and less education for our kids, he said. We wont pay tax if pay cuts axedANGRY businesspeople yesterday threatened to refuse to pay their taxes in protest over a deal between the Government and public unions. The Irish Small and Medium Enter- prises Association claimed it has been inundated with dozens of calls from members complaining ministers were selling out if they accept unpaid leave instead of pay cuts. Isme chief executive Mark Fielding branded negotiations over 1.3billion savings a farce and warned members were threatening to withhold taxes. All we are doing is showing what we are being told. We are used as a sounding board, but its something we would have to think long and hard about before recommending, he said. Chairman Ellis Quinlan said: Com- panies are telling me that they are no longer willing to pay taxes that are By con doherty A LidL heALthy eAtinG Gives the fit fActor Jonathan Sexton demonstrates that he has the Fit Factor as he joins children from St olafs national School in dundrum to launch the Irish heart Foundations new school programme in conjunction with Lidl Picture: Sportsfile todAy: Frost clearing, damp later, becoming breezy. Max: 9c toMorroW: dry at first but rainy and windy later. Max: 8c METRO Weather From Page 1 Philippines kidnap priest home ELDERLY priest Fr Michael Sinnott made an emotional return to Ireland yesterday for the first time since his month in captivity at the hands of Philippine rebels. And the 79-year-old, who has a serious heart problem, vowed to go back to his work as a Columban missionary in Pagadian City on the island of Mindanao in the new year. Fr Sinnott was embraced by family members as he arrived at Dublin Airport. It was more or less tearful and hugging, rather than talking, he said afterwards. I feel fine, thank God. It must be a result of all the prayers that were said for me. The Wexford-born cleric was forced to hike through jungles, survive raging seas and sleep in a swamp under a tarpaulin during the 32-day kidnapping. Prayers: Fr Sinnott SINGER Katie Melua is recovering after her breathing apparatus failed while she was diving near Heathrow Airport. It happened on Monday when the 25-year-old, known for her love of extreme sports, was diving in a lake. Her diving partner, Mike Batt, revealed the incident on his Twitter account, writing: Katie Melua went diving yesterday and had an Im about to die moment when her air supply was cut off, nearly drowning her. That girl. A spokeswoman for the Nine Million Bikes singer said: She had a fright but she is absolutely fine. The star was born in Georgia, in the then Soviet Union, before her family moved to Northern Ireland and then London, where she went to the Brit School for Performing Arts. Melua doing fine after diving fright Katie: Sticking to her bike in future index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html24.html25.html26.html27.html