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THE GARDA REPRESENTATIVE Association will today tell the Joint Committee on Justice that a “record number” of gardaí are due to quit the force this year.
The Joint Committee for engagement on Policing Matters is due to meet in Leinster House today at 4pm.
The Committee will hear from the GRA, as well as the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, the Restaurants Association of Ireland, and retired Garda Sergeant Anthony Gallagher.
In its opening statement, the GRA is set to tell the committee that it expects at least 150 gardaí to leave the force this year, with 116 members having resigned already.
Last year, 107 members of An Garda Síochána resigned from the force.
Speaking ahead of the meeting this afternoon, Committee Cathaoirleach James Lawless said that the Committee is “very aware of the impact that crime continues to have on society in Ireland”.
He added that the meeting will be an opportunity to hear from a number of key stakeholders in relation to challenges regarding recruitment and retention in the gardaí, as well as general morale within the force.
The Committee will also discuss policing in Dublin City and policing of protests.
Ronan Slevin, the general secretary of the GRA, will tell the Committee that there is “extreme concern” in the force and that a “growing number are simply walking away”.
He says this is due to a combination of a lack of recognition, poor pension entitlements for new recruits, workload, and an unfair disciplinary process.
Slevin says “all contribute to the disillusionment of the modern Garda”.
This month alone, ten garda members have given their notice to quit.
Slevin will also remark that an increase in the training allowance from €184 to €305 “will do little or nothing to attract the most suitably qualified candidates for a career in An Garda Síochána”.
He will also note that new trainee numbers are set to fall “woefully short”, with just over 600 trainees this year as opposed to the target of 1,000.
Slevin will also call for a “better work/life balance around rosters” with the aim of “maximising resources through an efficient timetable, satisfactory to all”.
The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors will tell the Committee that “An Garda Síochána have seen dramatic reductions in the last twenty years, with the most recent 2022 competition attracting only approximately five thousand applicants”.
It will also state that it is “clear” that young people do not view joining the force “as an attractive career option”, adding: “An Garda Síochána throughout its one hundred year history has never experienced such a difficult recruitment environment, even in the midst of the Celtic Tiger when there was similar full employment figures.”
In its opening statement, the AGSI blames new pension regulations, a lack of affordable housing in major urban areas, retention issues, “excessive Bureaucratic procedures” and a “misuse of social media at almost every public interaction gardaí are now involved in” as factors in this demise.
It also notes rostering as a “challenging” issue and will call for, among other things, the establishment of an Independent Pay Review Body for An Garda Síochána, the introduction of minimum sentences for those who assault Gardaí and emergency workers, and “strict” Right to Disconnect policies.
Elsewhere, retired Garda Sergeant Anthony Gallagher will call for exit interviews to deal with retention issues, as well as greater garda resources to deal with crime in Dublin City.
“The method of policing of O’Connell Street is a barometer on how policing nationally is judged,” says Gallagher, “if we are not capable of sufficiently policing our National Promenade this will have an influence on public opinion and the perception of safety.”
Gallagher will also highlight “panhandling” as an issue in Dublin City, remarking that “it is almost impossible to enjoy alfresco dining outside any premises without being intruded upon by panhandlers or addicts approaching customers”.
He will add: “There is also an undertone to begging outside and obstructing entrances to retail stores, the staff inside the shops are afraid of them as they also turn to shoplifting, it is intimidating for staff.”
Meanwhile, Adrian Cummins, CEO of the Restaurants Association Ireland, will speak to the Committee on the impact crime and anti-social behaviour has on restaurants, pubs and cafes.
Cummins undertook a survey of Dublin-based members in advance of the meeting and he will tell the Committee that “100% of the survey’s respondents said Dublin city is less safe today than it was pre-pandemic”.
In his opening statement, Cummins will remark that “customers feel less safe venturing into the city in recent times, particularly at night”.
Cummins will call for “increased Garda visibility on the streets of Dublin”, a “zero-tolerance policy towards the public sale and consumption of illegal drugs”, as well as measures to tackle the “well-documented taxi shortages and a lack of reliable public transport options”.
“We should be urgently looking at ways of increasing the number of options available to those visiting Dublin city’s restaurants and pubs to get to and from the city safely,” says Cummins.
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Why would anyone want to be a Garda in this day and age? All the little s*its are brought up to hate the Gardaí now days. Little to no respect and given dogs abuse. Gardaì need to be more heavy handed like the Spanish police. Those boys take no messing
@Dusty Bawls: Same as the French cops. Throw a few shapes at them and they come wading in all guns blazing. There simply is no messing.
@Dusty Bawls: That and the Irish people constantly telling you to stop moaning about your “cushty” job and ‘pull up your socks’ etc.
@Dusty Bawls: I agree. I’m out on the streets working at weekends, and believe me, the youth today have little respect or fear of the guards. Guards then get no support or back up when they do try and deal with scrotes. Should be like the French or Spanish cops. It’s only going to get worse
@Dusty Bawls: Am I reading the numbers wrong? 150 leaving from a total of 15,000 seems very low
@Mick Duvanny: there isn’t 15,000 gards … only a fraction of the actual number are actual front line … 150 resigning (majority of which are front line).. if there were 7000 actual,front line, everyday gards id be amazed. Do the math on that and you are looking at near 5% of front line Garda gone this year added to 4% last year and 3% the year before .. that 150 also has to be added to the retirement number … they are trying to increase the numbers of those serving … that cannot be done if the attrition rate is higher than the new entrants … which is 600 this year … Now do you see the crisis!! AGS and government are fudging the numbers and hiding behind a cloak of dodgy stats!!
@Dusty Bawls: Half the gardaï population seem to possess this “power trip” in which they speak to you in a unruly thuggish behaviour. It’s no reason that the gain zero respect. They force their opinion without listening to facts.
They can’t be given the aids to be “heavy handed” otherwise it would be used randomly and unlawfully.
@Dusty Bawls: Why are they brought up to hate them? It’s not that simple. The organisation hasn’t covered themselves in glory with the public have they? Alot of decent people have had bad experiences with them. Look what they did to the McCabes
Harris is doing a fine job! (Not). Since he took over policing policy has gone down the pan. There is no confidence in the Gardai to deliver the kind of rapid response to a crisis as we had become used to. Back in the 70s, there were gardai in every town and village who kept people with some semblance of feeling safe in their homes
@Jimmy Wallace: What would it be like if he was doing a bad job, then? I’d hate to think
@Patrick MC Dermott: He is. Corruption is actually being tackled with his new internal affairs unit.
@Vincent Wallace: The problem with policing, cannot be narrowed down to one single factor. Corruption has nothing to do with the problems facing the country in regard to policing. There will always be corruption in some form of another. Just look at our government.
@Patrick MC Dermott: Public opinion has a direct impact on the problems you speak off. Corruption is only one problem this unit deals with. Harris discribes officers using there positions to essentially force vulnerable women onto sexual relationships. Things like that are going to have a negative impact on peoples perception of Guards the knock effect is crime in communities will be under reported due to lack of trust in them
@Jimmy Wallace: he is simply a bully boy …. nothing more nothing less….and he has already lost the battle….GSI in over 100 year’s has never been in this situation….and all problems lead back to his door …. which by the way is not open because it is surrounded and protected by his x RUC hench men ….. in other countries it’s called a dictatorship in Ireland it’s called a future tribunal
@Jimmy Wallace: it’s actually because they retire at 55 on full pension. And covid slowed down recruitment. And 700 of them every day are on holidays over and anove their annual leave allowance because of a cock up on implementing the roster. No wonder they don’t want a change in the roster. Check out the last policing authority meeting, it’s on you tube. You couldn’t make it up. 700 every day with fret up when they should be at work. Some journo should look into it.
Get Helen out now! Her lack of commitment to this position has caused this controversy. Very poor appointment.
They don’t get paid enough for the $hit they have to deal with in this country
@Talla D: Bulls**t, one of the highest paid Police Forces in Europe, not to mention policing in Ireland is a damn sight easier than most other countries. Biggest issue we have with law and order in this country is the pathetic sentencing, not Police wages.
@Talla D: Managements goal across the public sector since the recession is to cut conditions, reduce budgets and show savings by being hostile to staff terms and conditions. That’s their priority as opposed to providing fit for purpose services. This is the result. People leaving, recruitment issues and a poor service…… DPER and local management have a lot to answer for. Staff across the board treated like dirt. Shocking management and a fairly obvious outcome to it
@Talla D: Retire at 50 with pension. Not many jobs can give you those conditions. Its 1% of the force. My company has up to 10% attrition. Reasons for leaving is not pay but management, bullying etc.
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: DPER have destroyed the GSI and the prison service they have tried to run it like a business with productivity Goals and budget cuts…..this has been going on for the last 15 years and now it has come back to bite….and they haven’t a clue how to fix it …..ya can’t run the police the prison service or the defence forces like a private company….way to many intangibles gards …. prison officers or soldiers can’t just go home if the money for that month runs out or they exceed the budget because they are dealing with life and death situation they can’t just clock off …..
@The Firestarter: So Garda are leaving the role because of sentencing is that correct?
@Ben Jones: Ben your information is years out of date. It’s 55 and then only with 30 years service minimum. A good proportion of which is shift work which destroys your body.
@Ben Jones: 1% of a big number is a lot of people. It used to be a job for life with loads of people signing up!….. You’d also want to brush up on their current conditions before making outdated statements
@Talla D: paid more than nurses, who pay for their own training.
They’ll get a fright when they have to work in the real world !
@Mike Dowling: The real world(business and society) depends heavily on effective policing to provide a stable and safe environment to operate in.
@Narl O Keill: … effective being the operative word there … the current policing system is not effective. The increasing crime rate and incidents of anti social behaviour prove that. Real world business survives on results not merely showing up.
@Mike Dowling: yeah of course because an office paper cut is the same as being stabbed or rammed on duty…..
@Mike Dowling: Ya, I’d say they’re just quitting and walking out the door without a thought about their futures.
@Mike Dowling: they’ll see every weekend off and have every Christmas at home with their families with vast majority of private sector jobs. I wouldn’t consider any job that didn’t have that as a given. Now is the private sectors chance to rush in there and grab one of those cosy garda jobs with that gold plated pension lol. In reality anyone in public service after 2013 the majority starting at point one of a scale will have a dreadful pension as its averaged based and not best end point based like before. Pre 1995 got the old age pension separate to their full work pension and got to combine both, now those lads had gold plated ones ….Long long gone. Point one of your scale had better be at least 90k these days or forget about it lol.
Somebody in charge had better get a grip before this turns into a disaster…then it’ll be too late.
Any update on the report concerning the missing millions in Templemore and the missing mobile phones and laptops of two ex garda commissioners. Perhaps McEntee could take the next photo opportunity surrounded by guards when she goes on her next walkabout to comment on the report.
@Donal Desmond: Your constant cut and paste of the same text is getting boring now… go write a letter to the Comissioner or something.
@Steve Davis: It may be boring to you, but it’s the likes of you that allow reports to be brushed under the carpet. As for writing to the Commissioner think he has enough problems…The report stops at the desk of Helen McEntee. Perhaps if the report had landed on the desk of Varadkar…the possibility of a leak would be looking good.
You can’t get away with alot of the stuff they used to. When the new recruits see the power is essentially gone from the job unless your an Inspector or above they leave. Let’s face it alot of people join because they think they’ll be untouchable with a badge.
@Vincent Wallace: Work for the good and great ‘Irish people for a bit to understand why.
Blame the judges and then blame the government. Why would you risk your life to deal with an individual so they can get a suspended sentence…
@Stephen Cullen: Surely that just creates more employment tho?
Worth noting that one of the most cited reason for leaving the force is: bullying.
Remember when the Gardai told the citizens assembly on drugs that it could solve drug abuse via arrests?
It can’t even stop it’s own members from bullying police out of the force. It can’t stop it’s own prisons from being full of drugs.
But we’re meant to believe it will solve drugs in Ireland?
It’s laughable.
It can’t even afford to police the roads.
Ireland is largely self-policed. Best everyone involved accepted that reality and made policies based on it.
Welcome to the real world.
@The Green Monkey: What..do a 9-5 Monday-Friday handy number with weekends, Xmas etc off with no scrotey heads giving you dogs abuse whilst recording you on their phones..yeah sounds frightening alright to come into that environment!!
@The Green Monkey: Aplogies meant for @Mike Dowling
@The Green Monkey: What do you mean?
Reminder that FFFG has only managed to increase Gardai number by 24% since the 1990s.
Those the figure include retirements? Gardaí have been known to massage figures.
McEntee, Leo, Harris, AC’s, Chiefs, Supers are all at fault. There is no accountability and bullying is the only way to gain promotion for Management with a serious lack of ability. Leaning on the front line is disgraceful and this shower are after ruining a reasonable organisation looking for support. Some local management are more of a threat to the public that any of the front liners or even criminals. They even investigate their own bullying and harassment complaints FFS ! McEntee and Harris are shocking role models.
“Garda on course to lose 500 members via resignations and retirements by year-end”
That’s the real number, at least.
And God knows we live in a country where people are happy to fiddle numbers, so who knows the real numbers.
Couldn’t blame them. A horrible thankless job
With a “justice” system that consistently lets serial offenders off the hook, must be demoralising for the garda that wasted their time bringing them in…
It’s the bosses fault FFG
I know some retired Gardaí, and some current ones. Retired Gardaí miss the job, miss the interactions between people. Current Gardaí went from 8 hour shifts to 10 hour shifts in 2012, then onto 12 hour shifts from Covid. Tiredness, fatigue, disruption of sleep and resultant concentration and memory problems are common conversation topics I hear. Some people avoid doing the work, get into office roles and get promoted into supervisory and management roles with little or no knowledge of what the work actually involves, failing to relate to the issues people under their supervision are experiencing, making judgemental remarks and showing no empathy. Every serious injury witnessed, every death encountered, every disturbing report taken has an impact on a person’s psyche. People retiring from policing roles take decades of knowledge with them, essential information that is lost to the organisation, and the public. There is a misguided perception to the supposed benefits, little or no acknowledgement of the lived experiences
@James K.: A pension after 30 years service has less benefit for someone expected to live 6 years after retirement, some beat that figure, others don’t survive to claim the pension in the first place. A wife or husband, partner or loved one tolerating long absences, missed birthdays, anniversaries and special occasions expecting to enjoy retirement only to have it taken away will feel that the job takes far too much for too little benefit. A young recruit eager to learn and develop who finds themselves bogged down in mundane clerical tasks, endlessly tied to a computer or frustrated at poorly designed software on computers and devices, slow support responses and out of date equipment can only be disheartened. Dealing with the same stresses and pressures as more experienced colleagues only to realise the difference in wages and pensions mean less earnings while doing the work and less pension at the end can only be a kick between the legs. That the country is in a period of record shortages of accomodation and ever rising costs makes that harder again to accept. The government are the reason for this situation
no surprise.. leaders getting paid whooopin maney while doing natin’.. run away.
same as politicians they should work for free.. yer serving yer country.. for free if yer patriotic.. bunch of hypocrite
But “morale is high”…sure the minister said so
This is probably a good thing, people obviously join that are just not cut out for the job, no harm done, it’s better for everyone that they would leave. It’s a tough job in the cities, not for the faint hearted. It’s also a very secure and pensionable job with decent perks like very good health cover. There’s a huge amount of anti Garda sentiment on social media, I don’t think it’s at all justified.
@Cornelius Byrne: there is no health cover , there’s a paid health insurance exclusive to gardai and family. It’s expensive enough but good cover. The pension isn’t great post 2013. I wouldn’t go so far to say people aren’t cut out. The reasons people are leaving are internal reports suggest. Not the job description.
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