Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said he was “very surprised” by the discovery that Gardaí had been conducting recruitment drives in accommodation centres for asylum seekers, stating that “this is not government policy.”
Speaking in the Dáil today, the Fianna Fáil leader was responding to a question from Independent Ireland TD Ken O’Flynn, who challenged the decision to deploy Gardaí to such centres.
“WHO SIGNED OFF ON THIS?”
O’Flynn had asked the Taoiseach to explain how Gardaí came to be recruiting in centres that house individuals “many of [whom] have entered the state without passports or documentation.”
“Can you explain to the members of this House how members of the Garda Síochána were deployed to recruit at IPAS centres, centres housing individuals, many of those cases who have entered the state without passports or documentation, or without verification or background checks,” the Cork North-Central TD said.
“Some of these individuals may not be the vulnerable cases as often your government portrays. And yet, Gardaí were sent in and invited them to consider a career in Irish policing.
“Tánaiste Harris himself has said this practice was not appropriate. Taoiseach, can you tell us who signed off on this? Whose government or whose idea was this to draw Gardaí into a cohort that cannot fully be identified into the Irish policing force? And will you now give commitment to this House that this policy is reverted and stopped?”
“I MUST SAY, I WAS VERY SURPRISED TO SEE THIS”
Martin replied that he was “surprised” by the revelation. He said it was “not Government policy,” and said he would be chasing the matter up with Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan.
“I don’t deal with the operational practices of An Garda Síochána, I don’t intervene in those,” Martin replied.
“But I must say I was very surprised to see this. This is not government policy. But I will revert back to the deputy and ask for the communication to be sent to you. I’ll talk to the Minister of Justice in respect of this.”
The controversy follows the revelation that there were a series of Garda recruitment events held in International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centres since 2022. Locations included Rathmines in Dublin, Castlebar in Mayo, Mosney Village in Meath, and the Grand Hotel in Wicklow, as revealed through documents obtained by Gript under Freedom of Information.
DREW HARRIS QUESTIONED ABOUT IPAS RECRUITMENT AT AN OIREACHTAS COMMITTEE MEETING
At a Justice Committee meeting last night, Sinn Féin TD Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin described public confusion over the issue and asked for clarification on eligibility rules.
“I think it was clarified that there had been recruitment sessions in a number of IPAS centres,” Ó Súilleabháin said.
“I know there was one in Wicklow in my own constituency, Castlebar, possibly a few others – I think Rathmines.”
He asked Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to confirm whether individuals currently residing in IPAS centres are eligible to join An Garda Síochána.
GARDA COMMISSIONER CLARIFIES POSITION
Harris stated that refugee status is a requirement, acknowledging that he himself had contributed some confusion to this issue.
“To join An Garda Síochána, you must be a national of the European Union, a national of the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom or Swiss Confederation, or under the International Protection Act, where you have been nominated as a refugee or a family member of such a person or a person granted subsidiary protection,” Harris said.
“But even that is with qualification in terms of one year’s continuous residence in the state and during the eight years immediately preceding, have a residence in the state amounting to four years.
“But the confusion, and I may have added to this, is that somebody who is seeking asylum is not yet regarded under the International Protection Act as either a refugee or person granted subsidiary protection. And there’s a process before an individual would get to that status.”
IPAS CENTRE RECRUITMENT BY GARDAÍ NOT APPROPRIATE, SAYS TÁNAISTE
Tánaiste Simon Harris has also questioned the rationale behind the events. Speaking to Gript earlier this week, the Fine Gael deputy leader said recruitment in IPAS centres was “peculiar” and possibly a “futile exercise.”
“People who are living in IPAS centres by their very nature should be there on a temporary basis,” Harris said.
“But there will also be many people in an IPAS centre who won’t have a right to be here in the longer term.”
He said he was “all in favour” of increasing diversity in the Gardaí, but that recruitment should target those with a legal right to remain in Ireland.
“People who come to our country and make our country their home can have an important role to play in the Gardaí,” he continued.
“But people in the IPAS centres, many people won’t have a right to actually reside here in the long term. And therefore I think it might be a futile exercise.”
CONFUSION EARLIER THIS WEEK
Earlier confusion stemmed from a press briefing last week, when Commissioner Harris said he was “quite confused” by claims that recruitment events had taken place in IPAS centres. He asserted at the time that asylum seekers “have no route” into An Garda Síochána.
However, a Garda press officer later clarified that individuals with refugee or subsidiary protection status who meet all other criteria are eligible to apply.
According to the Garda candidate information booklet, applicants must be Irish or EU citizens, or meet the residency requirements under the International Protection Act. These include one year of continuous residence, and a total of four years’ residence in the eight years preceding application.
As previously reported by Gript, one such recruitment fair held in Mosney Village in April 2023 explicitly invited attendees to learn about “the opportunities available to them for a career in An Garda Síochána.” Senior officers and the Garda Diversity and Integration Unit were in attendance.
The Garda Commissioner has previously said he wants the force to be more reflective of Irish society, with the 2025 candidate booklet noting a goal of increasing applications from minority communities.