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Secret Garda bank accounts, accusations of money laundering and fraud on a massive scale, what better excuse for our chief of police to take a five-week break?

The force is under fire from all sides and the Commissioner, pictured, takes decisive action – she gets on the phone to her travel agent and books a holiday.

Did I mention the EU’s fraud squad is on the way here to probe embezzlement of European cash at our police academy?

Don’t be surprised if Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe takes a similar break here to see first-hand how a real banana republic does it.

It beggars belief that the Commissioner is jetting out on holiday as more than a dozen separate scandals rage around the force.

Just days after she was lashed for her handling of the allegations about the notorious slush fund at the Garda Training College, it emerges she is off until sometime in September.

She’ll miss next week’s meeting of the Policing Authority, which the head of that body describes as “unfortunate”.

Unfortunate, it’s a bloody disgrace and if the Government had any respect for the public and the ordinary gardai who risk their lives for us daily they’d send her on a permanent holiday.

I hope Noirin wears shades when she’s on her hols because people might start asking her about the alleged 50 secret bank accounts, the money laundering and the fraud.

(Image: Gareth Chaney Collins)

They might inquire about the account in Cabra with the tens of thousands of euro from Brussels that was supposed to go to train police officers to combat, er, fraud, and is now the subject of an investigation by the EU’s anti-graft agency OLAF.

When she pays her hotel bill she might be asked if it’s true senior gardai collected rent of €124,903 for land belonging to the taxpayer.

And she’d better not question the amount or she might be reminded of the near million breath tests that were recorded but which never took place.

Back in the day, high-ranking Roman officers would literally fall on their swords if their leadership led to failure in battle or brought shame on their legion.

Not alone will Commissioner O’Sullivan not do the honourable thing and go, she goes on holiday for five weeks leaving behind a police force in chaos.

What is even more scandalous is the fact the Taoiseach was out yesterday defending Sunshine O’Sullivan’s marathon break and expressing his full confidence in her.

Even after the damning PAC report on the handling of concerns over serious financial irregularities at the training college, ministers are still supporting her.

(Image: Gareth Chaney Collins)

They were spouting bullshit about “legacy issues” as if Noirin O’Sullivan was a recruit fresh out of Templemore when she has been a copper since the early 1980s and the Commissioner since 2014.

When they describe the most serious allegations of highly-organised fraud and corruption as legacy issues is it any wonder the Moriarty Tribunal findings are gathering dust? Labour leader Brendan Howlin described the timing of Commissioner O’Sullivan’s extended holiday as “strange”.

Problem is Brendan and his party were backing Noirin to the hilt when he was an honorary Blueshirt and would still be doing so if they had not been kicked out of office.

Indeed much of what is now out in the open was well known when Brendan said he had full confidence in the Commissioner.

That’s part of the problem, as soon as they get a sniff of power and all that goes with it they become part of the circle which is above blame regardless of what wrongs are committed.

Fianna Fail is in a curious position where confidence, or lack of it, in the Commissioner depends on whether or not it will damage Fine Gael.

Right or wrong doesn’t come into it and they too would be wishing Noirin bon voyage if they were in Government.