'Racism and crime' driving attacks on Indian nationals, says Garda boss
Some 154 new recruits graduated at the Garda College in Templemore of Friday. Picture: Brendan Gleeson
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has said that attacks on Indian nationals in Ireland are motivated by racism, crime, and "picking on the vulnerable".
He said that he met with the Indian ambassador to Ireland two weeks ago after such incidents.
The commissioner said the number of juveniles involved in such attacks is "particularly concerning".
The Garda chief was speaking at the graduation of 154 new recruits at the Garda College in Templemore.
The Garda strength now stands at 14,408, the highest since July 2021, and compares to 13,960 in January.
The dispersal of the probationary gardaí sees a significant increase in those going to the southern region, from 11 in June’s attestation and 13 in March’s, to 66 in the August graduation.
"All citizens and all the individuals residing here do know that An Garda Síochána is there to protect them," the commissioner told the media.
"We've been engaged in a considerable outreach programme now with the Indian community as well, so that when incidents happen they are reported promptly, and then we're able to mount investigations.”
The commissioner said he received an update report on progress in the investigations.
"You can rest assured these matters are being supervised at the highest levels within An Garda Síochána," he said.
On motivations behind the attacks, he said: "In part, there is racism in this and in part it is an element of crime as well, and picking on the vulnerable too.
"So, there is a combination, I think, of racism and then seeing individuals who people regard as being vulnerable, and that is motivating these attacks as well."
He said the number of juveniles involved in such attacks is "particularly concerning".
"Obviously we have spent a lot of resources in terms of juvenile liaison officers, and so through that network then we're reaching out and trying to bring behaviours, obviously, back to proper state, but also then trying to detect those who have been involved," he said.
The commissioner was attending the last attestation of his term, which began in September 2018, as he is leaving his position at the end of next week.
Garda strength stood at 13,907 in September 2018.
Recruitment brought numbers to a height of 14,750 by March 2020, but the onset of covid and the effective closure of Templemore College saw numbers drop significantly.
By the end of 2024, strength stood at less than 14,000.
The Government has pledged 5,000 new recruits between 2025 and end of 2029, or 1,000, on average, per year.
Justice minister Jim O’Callaghan has said that numbers will be greater in the later years than initial years.
So far this year, a total of 423 recruits have joined the gardaí, after three batches – in March, June and August – with the next attestation in November, with an expected class of around 190.
The minister plans to expand the capacity of Templemore and there is also talk about using third-level colleges for courses.
After the latest batch of 154 recruits, the Garda strength now stands at 14,408, which is the highest in four years.
It marks a significant increase this year, with 13,960 at the end of January.
The current strength is likely to fall through retirements and resignations before the next batch of recruits graduate.
The latest batch also sees a significant increase in recruits going to the southern region.
The majority of recent graduates have gone to Dublin, in response to political and public criticism over the lack of visible policing in Dublin city centre.
However, there has been criticism elsewhere in the country at the lack of visible policing, including in Cork City, with Garda associations and business bodies highlighting decreasing Garda numbers on the streets.
Some 66 (43%) of the 154 recruits are going to the southern region, compared to 24 in the previous two batches of graduates combined.
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