merrion street

In the first intake to the Garda College in Templemore since 2009, 100 new recruits entered training today. Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald said that this marked a positive step forward for policing in Ireland and promised ongoing recruitment.

The Minister spoke of the need for Garda reform saying that she would be confronting deficiencies and challenging bad practices so that An Garda Síochána would be in a better position to meet the realities of 21st Century policing.

We are starting with major changes to the administration and oversight of policing and further changes will inevitably follow to ensure that the high quality and respected service that An Garda Síochána has provided for the last 90 years is continued and enhanced to better meet the realities, challenges and expectations of 21st Century policing.

The Minister stressed the need for a new emphasis on national standards, consistent right across the country, and on protocols and approaches implemented evenly by everybody. She said she was determined to put in place methods and resources that would support the men and women of An Garda Síochána, who are widely trusted, adding that they performed a complex, occasionally dangerous, constantly evolving task and made an invaluable contribution to Irish life.