Commissioner confirms number of serving gardaí with barring orders against them has risen

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said: 'I know that over the intervening period (since 2021), those number have grown and we've reported those to the department and to the policing authority.' Picture: David Creedon

The Garda Commissioner has said he is finalising a report for Justice Minister Helen McEntee on how the force handles domestic and sexual violence cases involving serving officers.

Drew Harris confirmed the number of serving gardaí who have barring orders issued against them has risen since 2021 but would not say by how much.

As he attended graduation day at the Garda Training College on Friday, Mr Harris was asked about issues around gender-based offences in light of the recent case involving soldier Cathal Crotty.

He said: “There are two parts of this (review) and that is around orders and around investigations over a three-year period.

“We are looking at the quality of those investigations. We haven’t reported these overall figures and I don't want to put them in the public domain without reporting to the minister first.” 

He was asked how many cases have been reported to gardaí internal affairs in which a serving member is a respondent for an order issued under the Domestic Violence Act 2018 since 2021.

He was also asked how many serving gardaí are currently a respondent for an order issued under the act.

He replied: “I know that over the intervening period (since 2021), those number have grown and we've reported those to the department and to the policing authority.

“We haven’t gone to the end of that process yet and we are just having a final (check) to make sure our figures are absolutely rock solid.” 

In 2021, the Irish Examiner reported that barring orders had been secured against “at least 12” serving gardaí.

What's your view on this issue?

You can tell us here

The force’s watchdog, the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc), reported at the time — in 2021 — that it had received at least 300 complaints about domestic incidents involving serving officers since 2018.

A major row has erupted over gender-based violence and other related offences and its prevalence since Crotty was given a suspended sentence last week despite admitting he beat up Natasha O’Brien in an unprovoked attack.

There has been speculation the 22-year-old could be discharged in the coming days. 

The day after Crotty was released, it emerged that Petty Officer David O’Gorman, from Drumgoole, Kilkenny, is still serving despite pleading guilty in August 2023 to a violent attack against an ex-girlfriend.

An audit carried out in the Defence Forces has revealed there are 68 serving soldiers who have been convicted or are facing charges in relation to a range of criminal offences, including drink-driving, drugs offences and sexual offences.

Friday's graduation saw 157 new officers sworn in as members of An Garda Síochána. A further 294 Garda recruits, two intakes, are currently undergoing the training programme at the Garda College.