Minister says rules around gardaí having tattoos should be relaxed

Higher Education Minister Simon Harris said whether a garda has a tattoo or not would not be a priority of concern for people who want to see more Garda numbers. 

The rules around gardaí having tattoos should be relaxed to help with the recruitment and retention crisis within the force, Higher Education Minister Simon Harris has said.

It has emerged that three trainee officers were sent home from Templemore training college because their tattoos did not comply with the Garda handbook on uniform and dress code within the force.

"My gut view is they should [relax rules around tattoos] but I'm very conscious that this is a matter for the Garda Commissioner,” Mr Harris told Newstalk.

He said whether a garda has a tattoo or not would not be a priority of concern for people who want to see more Garda numbers. 

Three trainee gardaí were told their positions were being deferred due to having visible tattoos; one garda had a tattoo on their hand.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Mr Harris said he understands Justice Minister Helen McEntee is also “giving consideration” to the age limit on people becoming a garda. 

The legislation governing recruitment to An Garda Siochána states that the maximum age at which a person may apply to join the force as a full-time member is 35.

“I also know that when it comes to issues around the age of entry and the retirement age that these are issues that the minister is giving consideration to,” Mr Harris said.

“There are fitness tests in place and medical tests and I suppose, one could put forward the argument that once you can pass them, does it matter whether you’re 34 or 36? But that’s a matter for Minister McEntee to consider.”

Three trainee gardaí were told their positions were being deferred due to having visible tattoos; one garda had a tattoo on their hand.

A spokesperson for Ms McEntee said, “Nothing is off the table when it comes to supporting recruitment and retention”.

Ms McEntee has come in for criticism over the recruitment and retention of gardaí in recent weeks following a number of brutal attacks on tourists in Dublin.

The Government is also not expected to meet the Garda recruitment figures of 1,000 it set for itself by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Mr Harris said there has been too much “guff” in relation to banks not increasing interest rates for savers to the same degree as for mortgage holders.

“Many savers in this country are getting 0% interest while the bank is getting 3.75% from the Central Bank. Now I think there’s far too many strawman arguments and guff going on here in recent days that needs to be cut through,” he said.

“Savers and mortgage holders are not always different people.

“So the saver and the mortgage holder could well be the same person in many cases, and there’s a third leg of the stool here as well: It’s not just savers and mortgage holders, it is profit.

“People are really struggling… and I do think it galls them when they see a lack of fairness… it’s not that we’re just a little bit behind in Ireland, we’re well behind what is the European norm.”