Delays leave Irish-speaking Galway gardaí waiting for Gaeltacht posts as only 33pc are fluent in the region
An Garda Síochána have been criticised over the lack of Irish language proficiency in Gaeltacht areas as Galway West TD Mairéad Farrell highlighted how Irish-speaking gardaí face long waits for transfers.
Data indicates that nearly one in three gardaí working in the Gaeltacht are not fluent in Irish, prompting renewed calls in the Dáil for improved language standards.
“My office has been contacted by a number of gardaí who are serving outside the Gaeltacht and have made their interest in serving a Gaeltacht community known through a transfer request,” Deputy Farrell told the Irish Independent. “However, they are waiting years for such a transfer to be realised.”
Speaking in Dáil Éireann this week, Deputy Farrell referred to a critical 2021 report by language authority, An Coimisinéir Teanga.
It found that An Garda Síochána had failed to meet standards set out under the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024 which specifies that memebers residing in Gaeltach districts are fluent in Irish. The findings were based on monitoring reports conducted in 2020.
It was also in review under the Official Languages Act 2021 which says residents have the right to interact with public bodies through Irish or English, with services to be delivered in their preferred language.
Figures from the Garda Commissioner’s Office during monitoring showed that 37pc of gardaí stationed in Gaeltacht areas had sufficient Irish to carry out daily duties, a figure that had changed little since 2012, when 42pc were deemed proficient.
The report also found that 55 gardaí were recruited through Irish-language streams between 2013 and 2019. Of those, 18 remained stationed outside Gaeltacht areas.
“An Coimisinéir Teanga found that An Garda Síochána were not fulfilling their language obligations. This is not good enough and Government must ensure that Irish speakers, particularly those in Gaeltacht areas, can deal with local gardaí through Irish,” Deputy Farrell said in the chamber.
While measures were introduced between an initial garda review in 2011 and the 2020 monitoring reports, the language commissioner concluded that “the additional measures and progress achieved on current initiatives would not result in a significant increase” in Irish-language capacity.
Provisions have been made to introduce a more Irish-based focus into public workforces around Ireland.
In a statement to the Irish Independent, the Oifig an Choimisinéara Teanga (Language Office Comissioner) said: “The Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht has the function of prescribing dates by which all services provided by public bodies in their offices in the Gaeltacht must be delivered fully in Irish. This provision will strengthen the obligations that An Garda Síochána already has under Subsection 33(2) of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024 to meet the needs of Gaeltacht communities.”
"Once the provisions in the amended 2021 language legislation are enacted by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, this will greatly increase and improve essential public services in Irish, such as those provided by An Garda Síochána, for Gaeltacht communities.”
Galway is home to the largest Gaeltacht area spanning through most of Connemara with nearly 55,000 people living there.
The Irish Independent has reached out to Galway An Garda Síochána offices for comment.