There is widespread dissatisfaction among gardaí regarding the force's current management style.
President of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI), Declan Higgins, was speaking ahead of its annual conference in Great Southern Hotel, Killarney which began today.
He highlighted findings from an AGSI survey conducted in January, which revealed deep concerns about resource shortages, the effectiveness of the operating model, and a growing disconnect between Garda management and frontline officers.
He contrasted the perceived corporate management style with the ethos of community policing, criticising the former as data-driven and detached from the realities on the ground.
Declan Higgins was particularly critical of new conduct and performance regulations introduced in April, describing them as bureaucratic, administratively burdensome, and damaging to morale.
The AGSI president called for a return to people-focused policing and a reduction in top-down, spreadsheet-based strategies.
Declan Higgins also addressed serious concerns over recruitment and retention, noting many officers are leaving for more attractive civil service roles.
Compounding these frustrations is the garda subsistence and travel scheme, which he said has remained unchanged since 2009 and lags far behind the annually updated public service scheme.
This, the AGSI president argued, is both demoralising and unfair, especially in a high-cost environment:
