Press release
Taoiseach and Minister Flanagan welcome 197 new members to An Garda Síochána
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An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar TD and Minister for Justice and Equality, Charlie Flanagan TD, have today welcomed 197 new members to An Garda Síochána following their attestation at the Garda Training College, Templemore.
Today’s ceremony brings to 3,000 the number of new Gardaí that have attested and been assigned to frontline policing duties nationwide since the reopening of the Garda College in 2014.
Speaking at the Passing out Parade, the Taoiseach noted that Garda numbers have now reached 14,300, the highest level in almost a decade.
“Since I became Taoiseach two-and-a-half years ago 1,985 new Gardaí have attested, including all of you today. I believe it is the visible presence of Gardaí on the streets and in our communities that reassures the public and deters crime. Today we have over 14,300 Gardaí on our streets - that’s more than for a very long time - aided by 2,900 Garda staff nationwide. These numbers are increasing and our ambition is to reach a total workforce of 21,000 by the end of next year. We are on target to do this.”
Welcoming the new recruits, Minister Flanagan noted that Gardaí are now also supported by an unprecedented 2,900 Garda staff, which is facilitating the redeployment of Gardaí to frontline duties. Minister Flanagan reflected on this as well as on the launch by the Commissioner of the new Garda Operating Model, a key milestone under “A Policing Service for the Future”, the implementation plan for the report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland. Noting that the new Model will result in less bureaucracy and duplication at senior levels and more decision making powers at a local level, the Minister said:
“All communities will gain, through having more frontline Gardaí and a more localised policing service with greater decision-making power and expertise in each Division.”
The Taoiseach welcomed the growing diversity of An Garda Síochána, saying:
“Our role models should reflect who we are as a society, and the same is true of our Gardaí...Today I am asking Commissioner Harris to set an objective for encouraging more people from ethnic minorities into the Gardaí.”
Minister Flanagan commended the efforts which have already taken towards this goal of ensuring An Garda Síochána reflects and represents Irish society, including in particular the recent launch by the Commissioner of the Garda Diversity and Integration Strategy.
He also referred to broader action to address racism, incitement to hatred and hate crime, noting:
“The existing legal provision for hate as an aggravating factor in sentencing is not broadly understood in the public. The time is right to review our laws and reassess what is necessary and effective to stamp out hate speech and hate crime in Ireland.”
He explained:
“My department is working as a priority to develop and improve our legislation on both hate speech and hate crime. We want to understand people’s experience and ensure that the new laws we will introduce in this field are robust, clearly understood and effective. And so a public consultation on incitement to hatred is currently being carried out by my Department. We are also close to finalising research on the effectiveness of the different legislative approaches to tackling hate crime in other countries — to learn from best practice. Building on this research, we will in the new year bring forward proposals, for discussion, on new hate crime legislation.”
Of the 197 probationers that attested on 29 November 2019, 14 were born outside of the State.
34% of the probationer Gardaí that attested are women. The percentage of women in An Garda Síochána has risen from 18.5% in 2006 to 28% today and is now above the European average.
Ends
Notes to Editors
Government allocated €1.76 billion to the Garda Vote for 2019 and this is increasing further to a record €1.882 billion in 2020. Capital investment of €92 million is being made in An Garda Síochána in 2019, rising to €116.5 million in 2020. This will facilitate continued investment in ICT, the Garda fleet and the Garda estate.
This is the last of three attestations scheduled to take place in 2019. Approximately 600 new Garda members attested and were posted to mainstream policing duties in communities across the country in 2019. Total Garda strength has now risen to over 14,300 for the first time since 2010.
Of the 197 probationers that attested on 29 November 2019, 14 were born outside of the jurisdiction. Probationer Gardaí attested from Northern Ireland, England and Scotland, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, Poland, Slovenia, and the United States of America.
34% of the probationer Gardaí that attested are women. The number of women in An Garda Síochána has steadily increased. The percentage of women in An Garda Síochána has risen from 18.5% in 2006 to 28% today. This is above the European average.
The budgetary allocation to An Garda Síochána for 2020 will allow the Garda Commissioner to recruit up to 700 new Gardaí and additional Garda Staff in 2020, the balance of which will be for the Commissioner to determine based on operational needs. This funding for sustained recruitment ensures that An Garda Síochána remains on track to reach the Government target of an overall Garda workforce of 21,000 by 2021.
Speech of Minister for Justice and Equality Charlie Flanagan, T.D.
Garda Passing Out Parade
Garda Training College, Templemore
29 November 2019
Check against Delivery
Taoiseach
Commissioner
Most especially our new members of An Garda Síochána and your very proud parents and loved ones.
Ladies and gentlemen
First of all, I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank Josephine Feehily as she comes to the end of her term as Chair of the Policing Authority. Josephine has done fantastic work establishing the Authority and developing its role as a credible independent voice overseeing the work of An Garda Síochána. While the structures of our oversight bodies are going to be evolving as part of the implementation of A Policing Service for the Future, the principles which she has enshrined in her time as Chair will remain and that is a testament to her work. I wish her the very best for the future
Attending a Passing Out Parade in the Garda College is one of the highlights of my life as Minister for Justice and Equality. It is a pleasure and indeed an honour to be here with you new members today, as you and your families and friends celebrate a pivotal moment in your lives and careers.
I want to congratulate you on your achievement of successfully completing your training and attesting this morning. And, as Minister, I also want to offer you my thanks for your decision to commit yourselves to public service as Gardaí.
You have joined an organisation with a long and proud history. For almost 100 years An Garda Síochána has served our communities with distinction.
The most recent Public Attitudes Survey released in October found that 89% of people in Ireland trust An Garda Síochána – and 96% of respondents feel Gardaí will treat them with respect if they have contact with them for any reason. This is really important – you police on the basis of public trust. And it’s vital that this is upheld and strengthened in all your dealings with the public you serve.
As you put on the uniform and take up duty across Ireland, you are upholding and reinforcing this tradition. And in all your daily interactions with members of the public, suspects as well as victims, you will shape the public view of An Garda Síochána into the future. You have been trained to the highest standards in human rights and policing and we are putting our trust and our expectations in you.
The society you serve would, in some respects, be unrecognisable to those who went before you. But some points remain constant – like your predecessors, you are committing yourself to work with all communities to protect and to serve.
I commend the efforts by An Garda Síochána to respond to the changing nature of Irish society through a range of practical steps. This year alone, these steps include:
I warmly welcome the leadership shown by Commissioner Harris and his management team in these and other steps taken, to ensure that An Garda Síochána reflects and represents our society.
And I can see that these steps are bringing positive results. I am pleased to see that 34% of today’s group are women. This is a sea-change from the 3% which women represented in the graduating class of 60 years ago in 1959. I am confident that your numbers will continue to grow and An Garda Síochána and the country will be the better for it.
I am pleased too to see that 14 of this graduating class originates from outside the jurisdiction – we have graduates not just from across these islands, from Northern Ireland, England and Scotland, but also from other countries, including Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, Poland, Slovenia, and the United States of America. You are welcome and important additions to the Garda family.
So diverse nationalities in An Garda Síochánaas Ireland itself becomes ever more diverse… that is very welcome. Because as we become more multicultural, it is crucial that organisations in leadership roles, such as yours, and indeed the Government, play their part in encouraging tolerance and inclusivity.
Our goal must be to achieve a hate-free Ireland. And this demands action at all levels.
Our Migrant Integration Strategy 2017-2020 as well as other relevant strategies including the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy are advancing a series of measures to promote equality throughout Irish life.
And a new Anti-Racism Committee is being established, chaired by my colleague Minister of State David Stanton.
But these steps alone are not enough – we also have to address those instances where hate escalates to the level of criminal activity.
I welcome the recent launch by An Garda Síochána of its Diversity and Integration Strategy, which will see enhanced reporting, recording, investigating and prosecuting mechanisms put in place for dealing with hate crimes.
As I am sure you know, there is existing law in Ireland which criminalises incitement to hatred. And although we do not have a standalone or specific offence of hate crime, it is already the case that where a perpetrator has been found guilty of a crime, such as for example assault or criminal damage, a sentencing judge may consider a hate motive to be an aggravating factor that would increase the sentence.
But the provision for hate as an aggravating factor in sentencing is not broadly understood in the public.
So the time is right to review the laws in place and reassess what is necessary and effective to stamp out hate speech and hate crime in Ireland. And my Department is working as a priority to develop and improve our legislation on both hate speech and hate crime.
We want to understand people’s experience and ensure that the new laws we will introduce in this field are robust, clearly understood and effective. And so:
My Department is taking this work forward as quickly as possible – and I count on you, the newest members of An Garda Síochána, to play your part in tackling crime motivated by prejudice and hate and helping make Ireland safe and secure for all.
Localised services
Before concluding, I want to mark a particular milestone which was met this year with launch of the new Operating Model for An Garda Síochána.
I have welcomed this development which will benefit us all – Gardaí will gain through the reduction of bureaucracy and through the devolution of more decision making powers to the local level. And communities will gain, through having more frontline Gardaí and a more localised policing service with greater expertise in each Division.
This will allow more localised, tailored services – I was pleased to see, for example, launch of a pilot technology initiative in CabraGarda station, close to the Deaf Village Ireland, to support members of the deaf community to access an Irish Sign Language Interpreter via video-link.
This is one small example from a growing range of innovations in the organisation. And so these are exciting times for An Garda Síochána. Each and every one of you passing out today have the opportunity to make a real and positive contribution to the organisation and to the communities you will serve.
Today marks the beginning of what I hope will be long and successful careers. Thank you, once again, for making the decision to “work with communities to protect and to serve.”
Comhghairdeas and bain taithneamh as an lá.