GRA says report confirms 'clear disconnect' between frontline gardaí and management

Garda representatives have claimed an Oireachtas justice committee report has highlighted a “clear disconnect” between the frontline and Garda management.

The Garda Representative Association (GRA) claimed the report raises “serious questions” as to why the Policing Authority or the Garda Inspectorate has not identified issues that were “blindingly obvious” to the committee.

The Joint Committee on Justice said recruitment of new gardaí needs to “significantly increase” to improve the visibility of police in Dublin city centre and other urban areas. It said the conditions for gardaí “must be improved”, including an independent pay review body, a ‘long-serving’ pay increase, pension redress, insufficient in-person training and “excessive” oversight.

The Report on Engagements on Policing Matters was published along with a report on the committee's pre-legislative scrutiny of a bill allowing for facial recognition technology. The committee said it is clear there are “several significant issues” affecting the retention and recruitment of gardaí, including issues relating to pay, pensions, rostering, and training.

“It was acknowledged that the conditions for gardaí must be improved, as the need to significantly increase the recruitment levels of gardaí to ensure high visibility of gardaí within towns and in Dublin city centre was recognised as one of the central factors in decreasing anti-social behaviour and crime," the report said.

Responding, the GRA members of the committee clearly had concerns that reflected those on the frontline.

“The findings of this cross-party analysis of policing acknowledged the validity of concerns raised by this Association for many years which have been continually dismissed and often denied by Garda management,” GRA general secretary, Ronan Slevin, said.

“The justice committee report has vindicated our perspective and stance on a number of issues and challenges in policing, including the lack of adequate training and the absence of fit-for-purpose policies on such matters as driver pursuit and the use of appropriate force in serious public order incidents,” he said.

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Mr Slevin said the committee’s recommendations to encourage recruitment and retention through pay determination and pension redress is consistent with issues the GRA had previously raised with both Garda management and the Department of Justice.

“It also points to the critical deficiencies in current training and equipment and general protection to support the members that put their lives and livelihoods at risk on a daily basis, and whose bravery was recognised and commended within this report,” he said.

“There is a clear disconnect between management and operational gardaí and this report raises serious questions as to why the Policing Authority or Inspectorate have failed to either identify or address issues that were so blindingly obvious to members of the Joint Committee.” 

Mr Slevin said they look forward to the opportunity to discuss the recommendations with the Justice Minister at the GRA annual delegate conference in April.