Tipperary TD says changes to Garda model will have 'negative impact on public and gardaí'

Changes An Garda Síochána Operating Model for Tipperary will have a negative impact on the public and on the gardaí themselves, according to Tipperary TD Michael Lowry.

"As part of a major programme of change that came into effect this week, the Garda Divisions of Tipperary and Clare are now amalgamated into one single Division, with the chief superintendent based at Ennis Garda Station’," he said. "This new sole Division will serve a combined population just shy of 300,000 people."

He pointed out that, in addition, gardaí across the country will return to the pre-Covid roster, which will see them work 10-hour shifts for six days, before having four days' rest. Since shifts were restructured during the pandemic, gardaí have been working 12-hour shifts with four days on and four days off, which significantly improved their quality of life and the lives of their families, he said.

The Independent TD said that the reversal of their roster will also see a change in the number of Garda personnel in a unit. Heretofore, there were four units working in rotation in a station, but this number will now increase to five.

"The Commissioner's plan to return to a five-unit structure in Tipperary is unworkable, with the central hubs of Clonmel, Thurles and Nenagh being the only realistic stations able to return to it, and that would be with units stretched to the limit. Sub-Districts such as Carrick-on-Suir, Roscrea and Templemore are not anyway close to being able to do this," he said.

Deputy Lowry said that District Headquarters such as Cahir and Tipperary Town would be relying on Sub-Districts to supplement their units to make it work, leaving rural stations empty.

"In order to achieve this number, members currently operating in specialised units such as Drugs and Crime (often referred to as plain clothes gardaí) will be reassigned to work on regular Garda units," said the TD.

Deputy Lowry said that this removed them from the specialised areas they had  been operating, leaving major voids in areas such as drug and crime detection, and this would have a catastrophic impact across the entire country.

"None will be more aware of this change than the perpetrators of such crimes," he warned.

The Thurles TD said that the bottom line was that the number of gardaí in Ireland at present was not sufficient to operate this new system. In fact, the numbers are not enough to effectively operate either the existing or the new system.

"I have raised this point several times in Leinster House and, while the majority of TDs agree, the situation has not changed," he said.

He pointed out that garda retirement figures continued to exceed the number being recruited, and recruitment was at an all-time low.

"This is where the emphasis should be at this time. Without enough gardaí, no system can operate effectively. Gardai are choosing the end their careers early as morale in the force is at an all-time low. They are quitting the job well in advance of reaching retirement age, with some even deciding to quit shortly after recruitment or even during training," said Deputy Lowry.

He said that changes such as those that were now coming on stream as part of the new Operating Model will only serve to accelerate the drive away from a career in the Gardaí at a time when the country needed to at least double the numbers in the force.

"Banner headlines almost every day scream of the frightening increase in violent crimes," said Deputy Lowry.

He pointed out that Scotland had three-and-half times more serving policemen and policewomen than Ireland, despite having similar populations.

"With the decline in number here, the Gardai cannot be expected to provide the level of service that they wish to provide or the level that the public expects and needs from them. Many say that they are providing a firefighting service at this point, meaning that they do the very best they can, and even though they know its not enough, it is not possible to do more," said the Deputy.

"The job of the Gardai is going in the wrong direction. The job is broken. Sadly, there seems to be no will from the Government or the Garda Commissioner to recognise this fact and to even begin to address the myriad of issues.

"The current changes being introduced in Ireland are very similar to the model that was brought into Britain. It has come in for heavy criticism from serving police there and moves are now underway to reverse it. That in itself speaks volumes. No organisation can survive without the support of its workers," said Deputy Lowry.