Dread of discipline and bullying culture drive gardaí to quit
NINETY-NINE per cent of gardaí who resigned from the force over the past two years said their mental health had suffered – with all former members reporting a ‘serious issue with morale’, the Irish Mail on Sunday has learned.
Almost three-quarters of gardaí who resigned cited unfair treatment and bullying as a reason for leaving, while 70% reported a debilitating fear of discipline affecting their decision-making.
Former members also said they were ‘terrified’ of the Garda Ombudsman, suffered ‘constant
‘Bullying, mental stress and burnout are rife’
fear and anxiety’ and received ‘no support from Garda management’.
The findings are contained in research by the Garda Representative Association (GRA) arising out of interviews with 40 of around 200 gardaí who resigned between July 2021 and June 2023. The research was carried out to find out why gardaí are leaving in their droves.
Some 120 gardaí have resigned from the force so far this year, surpassing last year’s record of 109. Just 47 resigned in 2017.
The shock findings will make uncomfortable reading for Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, who last month faced an unprecedented almost 99% vote of no confidence in his leadership. It will also heap more pressure on Justice Minister Helen McEntee.
Former gardaí told how they suffered ‘horrendous working conditions’, ‘outdated systems’ and ‘rodent-infested stations’ with a massive 85% saying they didn’t have the resources or conditions to work effectively.
A third reported a ‘toxic’ work environment with ‘more people’ needed, and a quarter said ‘better’ training is required to improve their ability to work effectively.
Half of the officers who left told the GRA they didn’t feel as if they had the necessary training to be effective in their jobs.
The study reveals a significant problem with morale in the force, with resigned members feeling ‘burnt-out, stressed, victimised and unsupported in their roles’. They felt ‘weighed down by heavy and bureaucratic systems’ and all who left said their personal lives and mental health had improved since leaving the force. Interviews were conducted by Tara McManus, the assistant to the GRA’s general secretary. She said the accounts have ‘provided invaluable insights into the reality of policing, particularly for our younger members who, statistically, are more likely to resign’.
Ms McManus added: ‘They have described a worrying work culture where bullying, mental stress, burnout, and a sense of vulnerability are rife. They described feeling undervalued and overworked and overwhelmingly describe morale as being at an all-time low within the Garda organisation.’
Ms McManus said the GRA has been highlighting issues such as recruitment and retention, morale, standard of training, discipline and conditions of work. She said these problems must now be addressed ‘as a matter of urgency’.
GRA general secretary Ronan Slevin said interviews ‘uncovered a real disconnect between members and senior Garda management’.
He said: ‘The commissioner has in the past insisted there was no issue with morale in the force, but these testimonies speak volumes.’
GRA president Brendan O’Connor said he had witnessed bullying, unfair treatment and the fear of discipline, describing their effects as ‘detrimental’.
In a statement, the Garda Press Office stressed that the resignation rate in the force, ‘while increasing, accounts for approximately 1% of the total Garda workforce’.
A spokesman said: ‘An Garda Síochána’s level of resignations is far below those experienced by UK police services (approximately 10%) and the private sector (10% to 20%). Post-Covid, police services in the US, New Zealand and Canada have all reported an increase in resignations in excess of the Garda resignation rate.’