Ruairí Ó Murchú
Question:
549. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Justice if there are plans to award reserve Gardaí a long service medal for their voluntary unpaid service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48350/22]
View answer
I have contacted An Garda Síochána for the information requested by the Deputy. Regretfully, this information was not available in time but I will write to the Deputy once the information is to hand.
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51
I refer to Parliamentary Question Number 549 which was for answer on 4 October 2022, where you asked:
“if there are plans to award Reserve Gardaí a long service medal for their voluntary unpaid service; and if she will make a statement on the matter”.
You will recall that the information could not be obtained in the time available and I undertook to consult with An Garda Síochána and contact you again when the requested information was available.
I recognise the important and valuable contribution made by past and present members of the Garda Reserve, who willingly gave or continue to give their time to An Garda Síochána in order to strengthen their local communities.
As you will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including matters regarding commemorations. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.
I am informed that on the tenth anniversary of the first attestation of Garda Reserves in 2016, An Garda Síochána introduced a certificate of appreciation for their long service. This certificate, signed by the Garda Commissioner, is presented to each Reserve Garda by the Chief Superintendent of the Division they are allocated to when they reach 10 years’ service.
I am advised that there are no plans to present a medal for service in addition to the certificate of appreciation.
More generally, you may wish to note that as part of the government’s plan to modernise and strengthen An Garda Síochána, A Policing Service for our Future, the Garda Commissioner has developed a Garda Reserve Strategy 2021-2025, which provides a roadmap for the development of this important service.
The Strategy published in October 2021 is informed by an internal review of the Reserve, and sets out key commitments including recruitment, training and development, deployment, governance and evaluation. A priority is a new recruitment campaign, which will be held next year, and on foot of which new reservists will be appointed for five years initially. The Garda Commissioner has established an Implementation Group and Oversight Committee to ensure the Strategy delivers on its objectives, and I look forward to working with him to increase the number of members of the Reserve and in realising its full potential as a resource to policing and in providing a pathway to full-time membership of An Garda Síochána, including from minority communities.
