Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has pushed back against criticism of his policing model, which the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) claims is failing, reports RTE.
At their annual conference today, AGSI members told the Commissioner that his tenure has been marked by ineffective policing strategies, poor industrial relations, and unnecessary reforms.
AGSI president Declan Higgins accused Mr Harris of turning policing into a business. “Spreadsheets replacing community, and rebranding replacing real reform,” he said, reports RTE.
Commissioner Harris, however, said he did not take the criticism personally. He denied implementing a top-down management system and emphasised that the policing model had been under consultation nationally and locally over the past six years.
He said local projects have supported each rollout of the operating model, with the associations involved at every step. “I can stand over the work that has been done,” he added, reports RTE.
He pointed to several developments under his leadership, including the introduction of body cameras, a new Garda fleet, uniforms, upgraded technology, and millions invested in public order equipment such as a water cannon.
He also cited improved efforts in tackling domestic violence and organised crime, highlighting that Divisional Protective Services Units now operate in every Garda division with over 300 specialist members trained, reports RTE.
According to the Commissioner, the force has secured 51 successful non-fatal strangulation prosecutions over the past year and 41 coercive control convictions in the last two years—results he said demonstrate the Operating Model’s positive outcomes.
This year’s AGSI conference marks Commissioner Harris’s final attendance in the role. Notably, he has not been invited to the upcoming Garda Representative Association (GRA) conference, r r
The AGSI has voiced disappointment with his leadership and what they describe as a lack of meaningful engagement. They say his model has fostered a top-down culture, disregarded frontline experience, and introduced excessive administrative demands, all while resources remain overstretched.
President Higgins also stated that training and professional development are “virtually non-existent” and claimed that gardaí are being reduced to “statistics, not professionals,” reports RTE.
He acknowledged that Commissioner Harris began the job with authority and intent but said today’s recruits face a service that is “under-resourced, over-stretched, and undervalued,” prompting many—new and experienced alike—to seek better employment elsewhere.
The association also criticised the lowering of entry standards, vetting procedures, and training requirements aimed at boosting recruitment, warning that such changes are “dangerous” and out of step with international policing norms, reports RTE.
Earlier, the AGSI highlighted the recruitment and retention crisis in An Garda Síochána. They said over 100 gardaí, including 30 sergeants and inspectors, have either resigned or retired so far this year.
To address the staffing crisis, the association proposed a number of incentives, including access to a portion of pension gratuity, tax credits on medical aid, free gym memberships, and the option to stop contributing to pensions after 30 years of service, reports RTE.
Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan responded by reaffirming the Government’s plan to recruit 1,000 new gardaí annually over the next five years, although he noted that the Garda College in Templemore can only accommodate 800 recruits per year.
He said it remains his goal to attract and retain more members of the force, acknowledging that the job market is highly competitive, reports RTE.
Regarding the search for a new Garda Commissioner, Mr O’Callaghan said the process will begin “very shortly” and that he hopes to present a candidate to Cabinet by July.
However, none of the current senior gardaí trained at Templemore have shown willingness to apply, due to pension-related tax implications that do not affect external candidates.
Mr O’Callaghan encouraged internal applicants to come forward and pledged to “do [his] best to ensure that candidates within the force will have equitable and similar terms and conditions” if they apply for the role of Garda Commissioner, reports RTE.
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