Drug unit interviews conclude

One new garda recruit assigned to merged division

Interviews to establish a panel of candidates for the Cavan-Monaghan Divisional Drug Unit concluded this week. It's hoped to have gardaí assigned for operational duty early in the New Year to get the dedicated unit back up and running.

There will be two units - one assigned to each county - Cavan and Monaghan - comprising of one sergeant and four gardaí.

The interview process formally ended yesterday (Tuesday) December 19, and all recommendations will now be handed over to the Human Resource Management division at Phoenix Park for decision.

The numbers assigned to the divisional drugs unit locally had fallen to zero in recent months.

The unit was disbanded in 2013 but reformed in 2017 in part due to political pressure at the time.

The unit was manned with six members until 2019. However those numbers have steadily declined since.

Last month, Assistant Garda Commissioner, Cliona Richardson, defended the resourcing of the garda drug unit in Cavan-Monaghan.

“It is an extremely active drugs unit, although operating with members on the ground rather than members of the drug unit,” she said, speaking before the Oireachtas Justice Committee in the wake of the recent riots in Dublin.

Recent significant seizures, although by regular members, include the discovery of 19.1kgs of herbal cannabis with an estimated value of €382,000 in Cavan Town. This intelligence-led operation was conducted by Revenue’s Customs Service, the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) and the Cavan Divisional Detective Unit, Revenue officers. One male was arrested and is now before the courts.

Before that gardaí arrested two men aged in their 20s and seized 244 cannabis plans worth over €195,000 in cannabis plants following searches in Arva. That operation was carried out with a number of local units including the Armed Support Unit and Garda Dog Unit. Further follow-up searches resulted in a €2,000 seizure of cannabis herb along with €2,750 in cash.

Last week 151 gardaí were attested as sworn members of An Garda Síochána at a ceremony in Templemore attended by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee.

The event coincided with a wreath laying ceremony to mark the 40th anniversary of the murder of Garda recruit Gary Sheehan from Carrickmacross, Monaghan, who was killed December 16, 1983, whilst involved in a search operation for kidnapped businessman Don Tidey at Derrada Wood, Ballinamore.

The next task will be to replace officers assigned to the respective drug units with new rank and file members.

Of the 151 newly sworn members, 115 were assigned to the Dublin region, 20 to the Eastern, and eight each to the Southern and North West. The Celt understands that just one of the new members assigned to the Eastern region will serve within the newly merged three county Cavan-Monaghan-Louth division.

The latest to graduate from Templemore were recruited as part of the 2022 campaign. They are the first in-take post pandemic and a further 348 Garda recruits are currently undergoing training at the Garda College.

The next intake of Garda recruits is scheduled to join up before the end of December 2023.

There are at present 14,023 serving members of An Garda Síochána nationally, as well as 3,384 Garda staff, and 354 Garda Reserves.

The total workforce of 17,761 includes 488 Inspectors, the highest number on record historically and 2,134 Sergeants, also “historically high”.

Speaking at last week's attestation in Tipperary, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris welcomed the new probationers and thanked them for their “commitment” to serving the people of Ireland.

“Thank you for putting them first. Thank you for pledging to keep them safe. And lastly, let me say thank you for choosing a career in An Garda Síochána because it is a job worth doing.”

Comm Harris added that the county had witnessed Gardaí “courageously put themselves in harm’s way” to protect people during the recent Dublin riots. “This dedication, courage and professionalism in the face of significant vitriol and violence should be an inspiration and example to you all.”

He concluded: “It is our responsibility as serving Gardaí to maintain the highest of standards. To act ethically. To act professionally. To act with integrity. To protect the human rights of everyone you come into contact with. It is what the public expect of you, and it is what I expect of you.”