Sikh garda must wear his turban

I WISH to clarify the issue in relation to the refusal to allow a Sikh member of the Garda Reserve to wear a turban.

The wearing of a turban is compulsory for Sikhs who are strictly bound by their religion to do so. It is not a matter of choice.

The turban, according to the Sikh faith, symbolises dignity and self-respect (also the characteristics one would associate with the gardaí) and is a mark of visual identity.