The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) has welcomed the announcement by the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee that the maximum permissible Garda members at Inspector rank has been increased from 380 to 500.
General Secretary Antoinette Cunningham described the move as “timely and much-needed.”
“The Operating Policing Model marks a significant sea-change in the delivery of policing in Ireland. In order to meet the requirements of this reform plan, the workload at Inspector level will increase significantly as a suite of tasks will now be delegated to this rank.
“We welcome this acknowledgment by Minister McEntee and the Government but ask that the recruitment process is expedited to meet growing operational demands.”
Department of Justice Press Release
Minister McEntee announces increase in maximum permissible number of Garda Inspectors
29 July 2020
The Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD, has secured the support of the Government to amend the Garda Ranks Order to increase the maximum permissible Garda members at Inspector rank from 380 to 500.
The Minister said,
“I am very pleased to announce that the Government has approved my proposal to amend the Garda Ranks Order to allow for the expansion of the number of Gardaí at the rank of the Inspector. This change is required to support the ongoing rollout of the new Garda Operating Model and the significant increase of responsibilities for the rank of Inspector under this new structure.”
The new Garda Operational Model is currently being rolled out nationally. At the heart of this new model is the delegation of expanded responsibility for a broad range of tasks to operational Inspectors, and it is proposed that there will be a requirement for 16-20 Inspectors for each Division.
Minister McEntee continued,
“The new Programme for Government, Our Shared Future, commits to the rapid implementation of the Report on the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland and the prioritisation of visible policing in both rural and urban communities. The rollout of the new Garda Operating Model is a key part of this process.
“Continuing the implementation of the Report on the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland is a priority for me as Minister for Justice and for the Government.”
As well as increasing the numbers at Inspector rank, the Minister also received the approval of Government to amend the Ranks Order by removing the Garda position of ‘Surgeon’, reflecting the effective civilianisation of this post that occurred with the previous appointment of a Chief Medical Officer.
ENDS
Notes for Editors
· The Garda Ranks Order is the common name for the Regulations that set out the different ranks within An Garda Síochána and the number of members permissible at each rank.
· The Regulations are subject to revision by the Minister, following consultation with the Commissioner and the Policing Authority, and with the approval of Government, to reflect organisational changes in policing, and the overall number of members in An Garda Síochána.
· The proposed Regulations – The Garda Síochána (Ranks) Regulations 2020 – come under section 122 (1) (a) and (b) of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 and include two proposed revisions to the current Ranks Order:
o Removing the rank of Garda Surgeon, which was effectively civilianised on the appointment of the first Chief Medical Officer in 1994. All holders of the position since then, including the current incumbent, have been civilian members of Garda staff rather than members of the uniformed ranks. The removal of the rank of Surgeon from the Regulation ensures that the Order accurately reflects the current Garda ranks.
o Increasing the maximum number permissible at Inspector Rank to 500, in order to support the ongoing rollout of the new Policing Operational Model and the significant increase of responsibilities for this rank at under this new structure. These added responsibilities include
§ Community Engagement
§ Duty / Unit
§ Performance Assurance
§ Crime
§ Protective Services
§ Roads Policing / Events / Resource Planning#
§ Criminal Justice
§ GSOC, Discipline and Complaints
