Please see below speech in full, by Garda Commissioner Noírín O'Sullivan at the Consultation Seminar on Justice Reform in Farmleigh, this morning Friday 20th June, 2014:
"Minister, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
This is going to be brief.
While I'm delighted to be asked to speak, the most important thing I have to do here today is listen.
That might sound obvious, but listening hasn't always been a priority, even in an organisation as dedicated to serving the public as is An Garda Síochána.
Too often, in the past, we've rejected well-meant advice.
And, at times, if we'd concentrated more on the message and less on the messenger, we'd have walked into fewer walls.
Now, let's be clear. I can't guarantee perfection on my watch. But I can give it a good try, and I will give it a good try.
Starting, today, by listening. Undefensively. Positively. Picking up everything that can benefit an evolving police service.
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An Garda Síochána is a unique organisation, because our key stakeholder is every citizen. We're responsible to every man, woman and child in this country.
We need to stay relevant and we will stay relevant by adapting to change.
It's my job, right now, to affirm all that is great about An Garda Síochána - and there is so much that is great about this marvellous, diverse, disciplined national organisation.
Whether it's keeping our beaches safe for families during sunny days or making sure drivers can trust the points system, whether it's addressing transnational or white collar crime, or tackling organised crime, we have committed, highly skilled professionals right around this country who every day demonstrate their passion for the job and prove their courage under pressure.
That's the baseline. And it's a good baseline.
An Garda Síochána has proved time and again that it can adapt and change in response to the ever-evolving criminal landscape.
On my watch, we must also prove we can adapt and change in response to the changing needs of society.
A cornerstone of this is the grounding of human rights in our everyday policing interactions. As a bare minimum, the public we exist to serve is entitled to a police service that treats it with respect and courtesy, not to mention dignity. As a bare minimum, our police service must respond to an increasingly diverse Ireland with enthusiasm and openness.
Now, from the first week I was appointed to this job, I made one thing clear:
Openness isn't just a word to me. It's real.
I've stated - and I'll state it again here - that An Garda Síochána needs to craft a new relationship with our 'critical friends,' internal and external.
That kind of openness doesn't weaken us. It strengthens us.
And an important ‘critical friend’ and future partner will be the independent police authority.
I welcome its establishment and its input into what we do and how we do it. I commit to seeking the best possible relationship with the new independent police authority that will hold us to account for the delivery of a human rights based policing service - I do so in the knowledge that, together with working in tandem with GSOC and the Garda Inspectorate - this can only enhance public confidence in An Garda Síochána.
I'm pushing for massive change - not all of which will be welcomed within the organisation, inevitably - and I'm pushing for continuity, too.
Continuity in our unequalled connection with communities. Continuity in the pride we take in the trust we build. Continuity in the service and protection of all of our communities.
We're at an historic juncture in terms of policing in this country - a chance to shape a future rooted in the best of our past.
We're a diverse nationwide organisation, so I can't presume to articulate the hopes and dreams of every member of An Garda Síochána.
But I can say this. Each and every one of us remembers the day we celebrated our passing out in Templemore. We remember the pride, the comradeship, the sense of being part of something bigger than any individual, committed to the good of all the population. The chance to really make a difference and contribute something more to our communities and society.
We've been handed a chance to refresh that memory into a set of standards for the future.
By listening and learning - today and every other chance we get.
Thank you".
