Speech by Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan at the Garda Attestation Ceremony - March 2025

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A dhuine uaisle, is mór an onóir dom bheith anseo inniú.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Commissioner,

Distinguished guests, families, and friends,

And most important of all, our new Gardaí,

It is a great privilege for me to be here today, for the first time in my role as Minister for Justice. It is a great honour to have been appointed as Minister and I intend to work very hard in this job in service to the people of Ireland.

Today is a day of great celebration for each of you and a day of great pride for those who love you.

It is the culmination of the hard work, dedication, and spirit of public service that I know each of you have demonstrated during your time here at Templemore.

It is this same dedication and service to the public that makes An Garda Síochána one of the greatest and most effective police services in the world.

It is also a day of celebration for your family and friends, and it is great to see so many who have come here to share this great day with you.

They have helped and supported you on this journey and I have no doubt they are immensely - and rightly - proud of what you have accomplished to date.

Days like these send a message to all the people of Ireland that we are fully committed to supporting and strengthening An Garda Síochána.

A strong and visible policing service is vital to ensure that people in their communities are safe and feel safe.

Momentum in recruitment continues to build and next week we will have our highest intake into the Garda College since 2019 with over 200 trainees.

The latest Garda recruitment campaign was launched last month, and I am very pleased that 6,700 applications have been received.

Greater numbers of outstanding women and men are coming through the gates of this College and being trained to keep our people safe. This government has made a commitment to support An Garda Siochana to recruit at least 5,000 new Gardaí over the next five years.

I can assure you that, as Minister, I will leave no stone unturned to deliver on this target. Delivering on our recruitment targets, and if possible, beating them, is a top priority for me.

I should confess I have a small understanding myself of just how challenging it is to gain entry to this world-renowned Garda college.

A few years ago, I undertook the physical competence test and although I did manage to pass it, it certainly wasn’t easy.

There is no doubt that you will face times in your careers that are not easy.

It is your job to protect the people of Ireland from harm, particularly when they are at their most vulnerable.

And while that can often be a challenging job, I firmly share the view that it is ‘a job worth doing.’

I want to make a promise to you all today, that as Minister, you will always have my support in this role.

Alongside our efforts in recruitment we will also expand the Garda Reserve to 2,000 and increase the number of Garda staff to 4,000.

We will continue to identify roles which can be transferred to Garda staff, freeing up more sworn members for frontline duties.

I am also bringing forward legislation which will assist in ensuring greater Garda visibility by reducing the amount of time Garda members have to spend waiting around in Court.

The Miscellaneous Provisions Bill will provide a basis for the remote hearing of all types of criminal proceedings.

As such it has the potential to significantly reduce Garda time and resources expended on conveying persons in their custody to the courts, along with Garda time spent in the court itself.

The legislation will also contains provisions around digitalisation of documents including bench warrants and charge sheets, which Gardaí are currently required to produce in paper form and physically deliver to the Courts.

Our overall Garda workforce is a higher number than it’s ever been, but we know that it’s not enough.

Significant measures have already been made to boost recruitment.

We have increased the training allowance, the age of entry and the mandatory retirement age. I have been delighted to see the testimonies of people now entering the college over the age of 35 with different experiences of life. I know you will bring all that wealth of experience to your role as Gardaí and that will enrich the whole organisation and the public you serve.

Unprecedented funding has been invested in An Garda Síochána in recent years to support recruitment.

The record allocation for this year’s budget will ensure the organisation has the people, equipment, and technology you need to keep people safe.

It is an exciting time to be joining An Garda Síochána as we see the results of this investment.

New aircraft will be operational by the end of this year and funding for another new helicopter has also been sanctioned.

Two new water cannon have been delivered.

And the projects trialling the use of body-worn cameras continue across Limerick, Waterford, and Dublin City Centre.

I noted last month’s conviction as a result of footage from a body-worn camera.

It demonstrates how this technology will help make the job of Gardaí like you and your new colleagues safer.

I want to see this vital kit as standard for all Gardaí. The capacity to process all the data it will generate efficiently is also absolutely critical – we cannot continue the current situation where highly trained Gardaí are tied up for months reviewing camera footage.

We will continue to invest in technology to ensure we have a modern, state-of-the-art police service.

This is also a time of significant change in An Garda Síochána.

The new Garda Operating Model is concluding its rollout across the country and is fully commenced in 19 Divisions.

I have been heartened to hear how the new model is providing more front-line Gardaí, increased Garda visibility, and a wider range of professional policing services for people in their local areas.

It also allows for a greater, more consistent, focus on community policing and community engagement in all divisions.

Of course, community safety is not just about policing. A whole-of-government approach is vital.

As Minister, I will deliver on commitments to enhance community safety and build a safer, fairer, and more inclusive society.

A key part of this is the nationwide rollout of Local Community Safety Partnerships this year.

Nobody understands the needs of a community better than the community themselves.

These partnerships will be provided for in the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act which will be commenced in the next few weeks.

The Act will also provide for the most significant reform of policing in decades.

It makes the Garda Commissioner the ’CEO’ of An Garda Síochána, making explicit and supporting the Commissioner’s operational independence.

Garda staff recruited into the organisation after the Act is commenced will be public servants directly appointed by the Commissioner. This ‘One Organisation,’ led by the Commissioner as CEO, and with sworn members, staff, and Garda reserves working together, is very much the vision that has driven the 21st century reform of this great organisation.

So, you are joining the organisation at a time of significant change, but also, I think, of significant opportunity.

An opportunity to be a part of a professional, modern, and effective organisation that is strongly structured and equipped to serve the people of Ireland into its second century.

But which also respects the traditions and community policing ethos on which it was founded a century ago.

As well as commencing the new Act, we are committed to ensuring you have the legislative powers necessary to effectively combat crime.

I intend to prioritise the search part of the Garda Síochána Powers Bill. This will ensure Garda search powers are modernised to meet the challenges of conducting investigations in the digital age.

Gardaí must have the power to search, seize and access electronic equipment as they conduct their investigations, and the public have the right to know that these powers will be exercised with appropriate judicial oversight. By taking account of the developments in technology, this legislation will deliver greater clarity and transparency.

I am committed to ensuring organised crime groups cannot hide from the law by crossing borders and work is ongoing to ratify the new extradition treaty with the United Arab Emirates.

This treaty will apply to anyone alleged to have committed a serious criminal offence including murder and attempted murder.

Any person involved in organised crime should know that there is no hiding place; they will face justice.

In order for the criminal justice system to work well for all stakeholders, all the elements must work together. Unfortunately, that is not the case today in one key respect.

Someone moving through the criminal justice system from the Gardaí to the courts to the prisons or probation service, will get a new number when they encounter a different part of the system.

This is highly inefficient and also militates against analysis being done that would better inform criminal policy.

I will shortly be launching a public consultation on the introduction of a unique identifier for the justice system.

That identifier, probably based on the PPSN, will transform the system and make it work better for everyone.

But that is for another day.

Today is your day, and I would like to again congratulate each and every one of our new recruits who are attesting today.

You have made life-long friendships during your training here in Templemore, and those connections will serve you in challenging times and good times.

I want to thank you all for choosing to serve the people of Ireland.

An Garda Síochána has, for over 100 years, been part of the very fabric of Irish life.

We have seen in recent months, through Storm Éowyn, the role Gardaí play in our communities.

Deep connections have been built with these communities who look to you for support and protection.

As I look at this vibrant group of new Gardaí, I have no doubt that each of you will continue in this great tradition.

I hope you will enjoy a day of well-deserved celebrations, and I wish you the absolute best in your careers.

Comhghairdeas agus go raibh míle maith agaibh.