Mr. Ronan Clogher:

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, AGSI, thanks the Cathaoirleach and committee members for the invitation to attend and address the committee this afternoon. The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors is a conservative but progressive Garda representative body mandated to pursue and seek improvements to our memberships' terms and conditions of employment, with the public interest along with the provision of efficient and effective service delivery at the beating heart of this association and its membership.

Recruitment and retention remain a significant challenge for An Garda Síochána. Difficulties experienced securing new entrants and retaining members have been frustratingly consistent over the past five years, with numbers hovering either side of the 14,000 mark. The AGSI is of the view that the optimum strength of sworn members of An Garda Síochána should be in the region of 18,000. This is due to population increases and evolving policing demands.

An Garda Síochána is now entrenched within a cycle of continual failures to meet recruitment targets year on year. This failure has not been sufficiently recognised by Government or Garda management, with the Government in recent years attributing this to Covid, full employment and lifestyle choices. The AGSI believes the first step in achieving a solution to recruitment and retention difficulties is a full recognition of the fundamental root causes of this problem, which this association believes are and surround pay and pensions, social media, excessive oversight and bureaucracy, change fatigue, workload, work-related stress, morale, negativity, stakeholder exclusion and industrial relations processes.

The AGSI recognises that some minor initiatives have been implemented in recent years, but these are short-term remedies and are not the radical measures required to meet the immediate and long-term strategic requirements of the organisation.

On the divisional and operating model, it is the resounding view of the membership of the AGSI that the operating model has had a profoundly negative effect on policing, and it is well known that there is significant public dissatisfaction with the service delivery provided by An Garda Síochána following its introduction. The model has been adopted from similar policing models utilised internationally, but a fundamental and fatal flaw is that the architects of the Irish version failed to take account of the unique policing and geographical requirements within this jurisdiction. The AGSI is of the view that the current operating model has negatively affected interactive community policing in this country. It is no surprise that international police forces have recognised the fundamental flaws with the operating model and are now withdrawing from this model and returning to more traditional tried and tested policing methods.

Some positive developments have arisen out of the operating model, such as the business services hub, which transferred administration tasks to Garda staff. However, from an operational perspective, it is difficult to recognise where service improvements and efficiencies have been achieved. The creation of divisional protective services units has been a very positive development for the organisation. However, this is an initiative that was not reliant on the introduction of the operating model and could have been established under the previous traditional policing model within An Garda Síochána. Policing in this jurisdiction following the introduction of the operating model is underpinned by a reliance on overtime.

The AGSI conducted questionnaires regarding the operating model which highlighted huge levels of dissatisfaction with the model, including the following: service delivery around community and high-visibility policing; an increase in administration burdens; the geographical size of divisions, with particular emphasis on the three county model; insufficient resources; confusion over where responsibilities lie; and the absence of superintendents from districts.

There is increasing frustration over the Government failure to recognise and take decisive and corrective action regarding the operating model. This is particularly evident among the membership of AGSI, who feel, as significant stakeholders within the organisation, that no one is listening and it is the public who will suffer.

At the core of An Garda Síochána is community policing. For many years now, there have been gardaí permanently allocated to this duty. In the recent policing and community safety authority meeting, the numbers allocated to this duty were discussed and currently stand at 697 members, which is a reduction down from 807 in 2015. Community gardaí interact with all their community partners such as businesses and residents while also engaging with an array of community services. They deliver school programmes and embed themselves in their communities to develop and foster solid connections and trust within. To this association, this is what we believe is called interactive community policing. Anecdotally, we have been informed that these members are often the first to be redeployed to undertake other duties, such as concerts and matches, and cover duties where deficiencies arise within regular units.

This association’s membership are committed to the delivery of an excellent service to the communities of Ireland but currently feel that this element of service is being eroded and lost, which is extremely regrettable. The 2024 AGSI survey highlighted that 96% of respondents feel that community policing has not been positively impacted by the introduction of the operating model. This is a sentiment the AGSI believes requires immediate attention.

Roads policing plays a crucial role in influencing driver behaviour and reducing traffic-related deaths and injuries. Roads policing units remain the key enforcement resource. Unfortunately, the number of gardaí assigned to roads policing units has decreased by 41% over the past 15 years, from 1,046 in 2009 to just 620 in 2024. Despite plans by the Garda Commissioner to increase staffing to 700, it continues to languish at approximately 635. This meagre resourcing remains a worrying trend. The life of our recently and sadly departed colleague Garda Kevin Flatley exemplified the dedication and tireless efforts of roads policing unit members, much of which was rightly acknowledged by the Commissioner last week. The increased investment by An Garda Síochána in roads policing, particularly in technology and vehicles, is also welcomed. The aforementioned resourcing issue within the roads policing unit remains the main obstruction to effective and strong enforcement on Irish roads. Other issues raised by our membership include abstraction rates, lack of enhanced training, and motivation and morale.

There is an urgent need for increased investment in roads policing to ensure adequate staffing and resources. A balanced approach that combines robust enforcement with comprehensive education is essential for long-term improvements in road safety. All stakeholders, including the Government, gardaí and the public, must work together to create safer roads for everyone.