Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We have arrived at a situation with An Garda Síochána that few would ever have envisaged. As an organisation that has always been respected and trusted, the rapid decline in relationships between rank-and-file members and management is disturbing. The situation is becoming increasingly unsettled as frustrations continue to escalate. There are serious problems and a range of fundamental issues that need to be settled. The Garda Representative Association, GRA, has made valid points and legitimate and recent requests.

Gardaí are the men and women who have dedicated their lives to upholding law and order throughout the country. We rely on them each day to protect our communities and properties. They are asking to be heard and to have their opinions heeded. They want the Commissioner to listen to the realities on the ground. They want him to hear their front-line experiences which would enlighten a proper and effective work structure. This unseemly row is damaging to the public perception of the force and holds danger for the public interest. Emotion is seldom conducive to securing resolution in any dispute. This current division could have been avoided. An independent and properly mediated review of An Garda Síochána operations, with the engagement of all stakeholders, should have been made a priority. It should have taken place when the first cracks began to appear. We now have a standoff which must be resolved. Further delay risks provoking an already delicate situation that could prevent a workable compromise. Key to this resolution will be agreement on the four-unit structure which is the issue that the public are now familiar with. However, of equal importance is the need to address the structural and management deficiencies in the current policing model.

Morale in the force is at an all-time low. This is made evident by the issue of recruitment and retention numbers. In 2019, a decision was taken to reduce the intake of recruits by 200 members. As a result of Covid, the Garda Training College closed the following year and alternative options to continue with recruitment were slow to emerge. In 2022, the force was promised 800 recruits but had fewer than 300. In 2023, we were promised 1,000 recruits but indications are that this number will not be achieved, with current predictions being optimistically placed at 800, at best. It also appears that there will not be the capacity to recruit 1,000 members in 2024 as a result of the late intake this year.

No moves have been made to formalise the increase in the Garda training allowance of €184 per week, which is a derisory sum. Poor pension entitlements for new recruits since 2013 are also a determining factor for anyone considering a career in the force. The Government must realise that pay and terms and conditions for gardaí are not adequate and will not attract new recruits. This is the principal reason that a once sought-after career is now overlooked by young men and women who no longer see it as a viable choice.

Throughout the 1990s, we had a consistently large number of recruits who are now edging towards retirement eligibility. With the current recruitment trends, we will not have sufficient numbers to replace them. The number of resignations this year is heading towards 150, with 96 recorded to date. Last year, there were 108. Figures from before 2018 show an average of 45 retirements annually. Many serving members I have spoken to tell me they cannot wait to get out. Decreasing recruitment and increasing retirements paint a very concerning picture for the future. Confidence and optimism within the Garda are at their lowest ebb since the foundation of the force. The problems go far deeper than rostering. An Garda Síochána is at a crucial crossroads. Urgent discussions and negotiations must commence to stabilise and restore a vital institution of the State.

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