Speech given to the Annual Delegate Conference of the Association of Garda Superintendents at Westmanstown Sports Centre on Tuesday, 14th April 2010.
Mr. President, Members of the Executive, honoured guests, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen.
INTRODUCTION
As always, I want to begin by thanking you for the invitation to address you here as a group. I welcome the opportunity to provide you, as key leaders within our organisation, with an overview of our objectives and priorities as an organisation.
As I said at the AGSI conference just two weeks ago, I am conscious that I am addressing you at a challenging and difficult time for the country and also for us as a police force.
The problems in the country’s economy have given rise to both personal pressures for individuals and operational challenges for us professionally as we all try to do more with less.
However, as well as highlighting and preparing for the challenges which may lie ahead annual gatherings such as this provide us with an opportunity to take stock, review achievements and successes in the last 12 months.
Before doing so I want to thank you, your members and their families for the support and commitment they consistently give An Garda Síochána and to me as Commissioner and acknowledge how critical that support and commitment is to our success.
ACHIEVEMENTS SINCE LAST YEAR’S CONFERENCE
Much of the great work done by your members and those under your leadership doesn’t make the front page of our newspapers or the hourly news bulletins but it does matter hugely to the lives of the people we serve and the safety of our communities.
Significant work is being done to combat serious and organised crime and to disrupt the drug trade and drug dealing on our streets. National units are working with local gardaí and other agencies to fight against
large-scale importation of controlled drugs into Ireland as well as the localised drug dealing and drug related crime which damages and causes great pain in communities.
Our people are actively targeting so-called “gangland” crime and so far this year we have seen significant progress into a number of murders with people now facing charges before the courts. Gardaí have been utilising the provisions of the new Criminal Justice legislation and already a number of substantial investigation files on key organised crime gangs are with the Director of Public Prosecutions awaiting directions with more in preparation.
Your members can and do play a lead role in this work. In the face of the sinister threat from dissident republicans, particularly directed at police colleagues in Northern Ireland, our members in the Special Detective Unit and in the Northern Region are working closely with the PSNI to counter and disrupt that activity. We have had successes but we must be ever vigilant and alert to their intentions.
All over the country, Gardaí are involved in targeted and intelligence-led operations to combat the crimes which affect the everyday lives of the people we serve including burglary and theft while our traffic corps personnel have put considerable effort into reducing deaths on our roads.
The volume crimes of burglary and theft greatly affect the quality of life of our citizens and its prevention impacts positively on the fear of crime. The prudent and strategic deployment of your resources in this regard can make a real difference.
The work of An Garda Síochána contributed to 2009 being the safest year on Irish roads since records began with the lowest number of road deaths recorded (239). It is important to also acknowledge the work being done by Divisional Traffic Corps personnel in denying criminals the use of the roads networks where activity has ranged from substantial drug seizures to the detection and arrests of armed robbers.
RESOURCES
The current economic environment has had a direct personal impact on everyone in this room and also on the people we manage on a daily basis. As leaders and managers in the organisation we all need to be acutely conscious of the heightened pressures on our members and the position in which a lot find themselves, particularly those with mortgages and young families.
The working group established last year to review our employee assistance service to ensure it meets the needs of our workforce has made significant progress and I expect to receive its report in the near future. Its findings will assist us in ensuring we have a comprehensive, appropriately staffed and integrated welfare system.
The overall economic environment has also impacted on the resources available to us as an organisation and the moratorium on recruitment and promotion in the public sector created particular difficulties for all us in management positions.
Since the introduction of the moratorium, I have been in constant contact with the Minister for Justice to ensure as far as possible that we are in a position to provide the most complete policing service to the community.
In this regard I am pleased to refer to the promotions at Superintendent Rank already achieved and look forward to the results of the current competition (Inspector to Superintendent) to facilitate the filling of key positions currently vacant at your Rank.
As well as ensuring we have sufficient personnel at the frontline, it is important to me to ensure that all members have the necessary equipment and technology to assist them in their duties.
In the last year we have maintained the level of Operation Anvil funding, continued to rollout the Regional Support Units and are on schedule to see the national digital radio project fully operational by 2011.
The Executive Director of ICT is currently developing an ICT Strategy for 2010 - 2012 and I have asked him to focus on ensuring that the work of our people, even in the remotest stations, is fully supported and enhanced by available technology.
Last year in excess of €80 million was spent by An Garda Síochána on ICT projects and services. This was broadly divided across the National Digital Radio Project, our Telecommunications Infrastructure and Information Systems including PULSE, AFIS, ANPR etc. This year I have approved a number of projects that focus on front line service delivery including the provision of email to all staff members, a rolling programme to upgrade our PC’s and laptops, the provision of mobile working solutions and also to bring an additional 60 Garda stations onto the PULSE network. It is important that you as the front line managers are aware of these projects and ensure that the PC’s, Laptops, Phones, Information Systems and all ICT facilities available in An Garda Síochána are fully utilised to get the best value from these investments.
All of these initiatives enhance frontline policing and benefit your members in their daily work. As Commissioner, I will continue to work to secure every possible support for members and ensure that you have the necessary equipment and resources to do your job effectively and safely. I rely on you as key manages to lead out on these matters. I would ask that you ensure that the available resources are used efficiently and to the maximum operational impact.
I appreciate very much the level of budget management and scrutiny of spending in which you are engaged currently. It is of great assistance and I ask you to continue your efforts in this regard.
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
I am pleased to say that training and development for Superintendent ranks has been significantly enhanced in the last year. Not only does the Garda College provide development programmes on promotion to the rank of Superintendent but it also facilitates participation by Superintendents on the BA in Police Management programme.
The Garda Executive Leadership Programme (GELP 1) has for the first time been opened to Superintendents in 2009 and 19 members of the rank are now exposed to the highest levels of academic and professional thinking and learning.
Significant numbers of the rank of Superintendent are currently engaged in study on both the BA and GELP 1 programmes in 2010. Following graduation from GELP 1 Superintendents will be eligible to pursuer an MSc in Police Leadership with UCD.
To supplement this as part of my commitment to the continuing professional development of all Superintendents, I have introduced the concept of “Master Classes” in a wide variety of subjects and disciplines.
These include “Negotiation Skills”; “Managing Meetings”; “Decision Making”; “Human Rights and Diversity”; “Analysis” and “Strategic Planning”.
From an operational skills perspective Superintendents have participated on the Senior Investigating Officer and On-Scene Command Courses and also on “Tiger Kidnapping” Exercises recently.
I thank your Executive in particular for your participation in and support for the review and I am pleased to say also that the majority of the submission by the Association of Superintendents to the Review of Training has been accommodated.
The Report of the Review of Training & Development was launched in late February this year by the Minister for Justice and Law Reform and is an indication of my commitment to the continuing development of all members of An Garda Síochána.
It offers an exciting and innovative approach to training and development for both garda and civilian members that will ensure garda training meets the challenges of the complex society that we police.
The Report of the Training Review offers An Garda Síochána:
• A clear strategic approach to training
• A new governance structure for training
• A new more focused Student/Probationer Programme with police powers after phase 1
• Introduces a Problem Based Learning approach
• Emphasizes our commitment to “Life Long Learning”
• Restructures our Crime Training capability
• Significantly alters our approach to Leadership development
• Introduces a Civilian Training Faculty
All of these points will be vital in the continuing development of our people over the coming years.
I am conscious that Superintendents and District Officers in the current difficult financial climate have concerns that the moratorium on recruitment in the Public Service will adversely affect the Garda College and its ability to provide training to the organisation.
Let me assure you that the Garda College is providing a range of courses from student gardaí up to Chief Superintendent level far in excess of anything we as an organisation have delivered before. Many experts regularly favourably comment upon the diversity and quality of these courses, nationally and internationally, including the Association of Superintendents.
I am firmly committed to ensuring that this will continue and while student numbers will inevitably continue to reduce in the Student/Probationer Faculty in the near future; all spare capacity will be utilised in ensuring the training needs of the organisation are met on a daily basis by the Crime Training; Leadership and Management Development and Continuous Professional Development faculties of the Garda College.
I am committed to ensuring that the Garda College remains an active centre of learning and development for the garda organisations today and into the future.
CONCLUSION
As an organisation we continue to maintain high levels of confidence in the community. This is important and critical to our success in fulfilling our core function – the prevention and detection of crime.
The partnerships we build both internally and externally are key to meeting our objectives as set out in our Corporate Strategy.
I look forward to working with you to meet the challenges that lie ahead. I want to again acknowledge your commitment and dedication to An Garda Síochána and our daily work and to express my appreciation for your professionalism and the results you are achieving and the difference you continue to make by providing a professional policing service to the community.
