Retiring Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said he always resented the idea that he was regarded as an “outsider” when he joined An Garda Síochána.
Mr Harris described it as “an odd expression to apply to an individual who is Irish and I never liked it”. He said he does not regret “one minute” of his seven years in the role.
He was present for his last Garda attestation ceremony, which took place at the Garda College in Templemore on Friday afternoon with 154 new members joining the ranks of the force. He is due to retire on September 1st.
Mr Harris was the first policeman from outside An Garda Síochána to become commissioner when he assumed the role in September 2018.
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Much was made at the time of his role as a former member of the RUC and then as a member of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), where he rose to the role of deputy chief constable. His father Alwyn Harris, a senior RUC officer, was murdered by the Provisional IRA in 1989.
When asked whether he felt his successor, Justin Kelly, will get an easier time because he is coming from within the force, the outgoing commissioner said his own experience after taking up his Dublin-based role after 34 years experience in policing was very positive.
“When I was here, I was welcomed immediately. I got to understand the organisation very quickly and there was work I wanted to do very quickly,” he said.
“There were reforms that had to be delivered. My overall experience has been extremely positive. I’m very glad I put my application form in.”
He said he believed the force’s performance has improved in terms of tackling crimes such as sexual abuse and human trafficking.
“Our response to that has been very positive and very professional. We are seeing the organisation growing again, which is a good thing,” he said.
“Everybody who is in An Garda Síochána is part of a broader family and we are all there to support each other. We get a lot of political support.”
When asked whether he believed corruption was systemic within the force, he said there would inevitably be corruption in an organisation as big as An Garda Síochána, but it was not systemic.
The addition of 154 new recruits on Friday brings the strength of the force to 14,408, with 3,672 additional Garda civilian staff and 296 Garda reserves.
A further 369 Garda recruits are in training to enter the Garda College. The next intake of 253 recruits start on Monday.
Five recruits who were due to attest on Friday were suspended after they allegedly handcuffed and then threw another recruit into a shower.
Mr Harris said the incident was an “aberration” and the standard of recruits in Templemore College is “very high”.
“Individuals in An Garda Síochána are joining a service which requires a level of discipline. Standards are high here in the college.
Mr Harris said standards would be high in the stations the gardaí would go to as well and “that is to be expected, that’s part of this job. They are there to provide professional and competent service to the public.”
Ronan McGreevy
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