Ms Éimear Fisher:

In the Changing Policing in Ireland report we found strong culture and negative culture. The strengths within the Garda culture are a can-do attitude as Mr. Toland said, a sense of duty and of willingness to be able to help the Irish people. There is, however, a significant negative culture, of blame and being risk averse. This was expressed to us consistently in all our field visits across Ireland. Between Crime Investigation and Changing Policing in Ireland we interviewed 2,500 people in the organisation. There was a consistent strength and weakness attitude. It is very hard to judge whether that is still the case. We are encouraged by the fact that the recommendations made in Changing Policing in Ireland have been accepted and one of those significant recommendations in respect of culture was the conduct of cultural audits. This is practice in many large complex organisations for measuring culture. It is quite possible to measure culture through cultural audits, to be able to say what is our mission, what is our expected behaviour, does our expected behaviour match our actual behaviour and to see how that is expressed through the service delivered. In its reform plan the Garda Síochána has indicated that it is going to conduct cultural audits. It is not possible to give an honest answer to the question of whether it has changed yet but the indications are that there is an understanding that it has to change. In Changing Policing in Ireland we said that in changing it should not lose the undoubted strengths in the culture. In changing it needs to acknowledge its strengths and recognise that certain elements have to change.

The significant obstacle to the implementation of change is the expression of leadership in respect of culture and clarity on that. What is expected? If change and reform are to happen in a complex organisation like the Garda Síochána, expectations must be clear on what the leadership and the vision at the top want the people on the front line to deliver. Unless that is reformed that obstacle could stop good customer service being delivered to the public. Mr. Toland will talk about oversight and the relationship with the Policing Authority.