Civilian HRM

About Civilian HR

In October 2006 the then Minister for Justice and Law Reform, Mr. Michael McDowell, T.D., signed an order transferring all Garda Civilian staff from the employment of the Department of Justice and Law Reform to An Garda Síochána.  Since then the Garda Commissioner has been responsible for all civilian personnel as well as Garda members.

To support the Commissioner in carrying out this new responsibility, a Garda Civilian Human Resources Directorate was established.   The Directorate is located in Athlumney House, IDA Business Park, Johnstown, Navan, Co. Meath.

The Directorate is divided into three operational areas – Resource Management, Pay & Pensions and Administration and Employee Relations.  Further, a full-time team are currently working on a major project relating to the HRMS (Human Resource Management System).

The Directorate’s role is to manage all aspects of civilian Human Resource Management.  This includes:

• Recruitment, Transfers & Deployment
• Pay and Pensions
• Performance Management
• Discipline
• Industrial Relations
• Garda Records
• General HR Administrative functions (leave, increments, family-friendly schemes etc.,)

The Garda Pensions Section transferred to the Directorate in May 2009 as the first step in the planned integration of Garda and Civilian HRM services.

On the 26th October, 2010 Records Section transferred from Garda HRM, Garda Headquarters to Athlumney House, Navan.

The Directorate played a key strategic role in driving forward the wider Civilianisation Programme.  Presently the ratio of civilian staff to sworn members is in the region of 1:7.  The Garda Commissioner is committed to attaining a ratio of 1:3 or 1:4.

There are currently 2562 administrative, professional, technical and industrial civilian personnel working in An Garda Síochána.
 

Civilianisation

The Garda Commissioner became the appropriate authority for civilian staff from 16 October, 2006.  The number of whole-time equivalent civilian staff working in An Garda Síochána has increased from 1,267 to 2082 over the period 16 October, 2006 to 31 October, 2011.  Therefore a total of 815 (64%) additional civilian staff has been recruited subsequent to the Commissioner assuming responsibility for civilian staff.  These staff members are civil servants who provide important support services across a wide range of work areas.

Work areas administered by Civilian Staff include:

• Human Resources
• Communications
• Information and Communications Technology
• Finance and Procurement
• Research and Analysis

Apart from the administrative support duties in Garda Stations and offices, civilian staff are involved in the provision of essential roles in a wide range of managerial, professional, technical and industrial functions.  Civilianisation has also enabled the establishment or expansion of some vital services which are wholly or largely provided by civilian staff – including the Garda National Immigration Bureau, the Garda Information Services Centre, the Garda Central Vetting Unit, the Fixed Charge Processing Office and the Command and Control Centre.

On the 27th March, 2009 a Public Service wide Moratorium on Recruitment and Promotion was introduced by the Government.  The effect of the moratorium means that no vacant positions will be filled by recruiting new staff or by promoting existing staff without obtaining prior approval from the Department of Finance.