Decision to send trainee gardaí with tattoos home ‘a little bit conservative’

A decision to send three recruits with tattoos home from the Garda Training College in Templemore, Co Tipperary, has been described as “complicated and nuanced” by the president of the Garda Representative Association (GRA).

Brendan O’Connor said the move was a case of applying a “subjective interpretation” to what was essentially self expression.

He told RTÉ radio’s Today show he felt the decision was “a little bit conservative” and that the force needed to be more inclusive and to “reach out beyond” where it has traditionally been when it comes to recruits.

The Irish Mirror reported on Monday that at least three people who had started in Templemore this month were sent home for having tattoos that would have been visible to the public if the officers were wearing short sleeved uniform shirts after completing their training.

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A Garda spokesman said: “A number of Garda recruits have had their positions deferred pending their compliance with the Uniform and Dress Code within An Garda Síochána.”

Mr O’Connor said tattoos have become more socially acceptable and the decision to send home recruits because of them raised “some questions”.

Tattoos are now “very much part of the younger culture” so the decision was “an ultra conservative view of something that is very much part of the norm”, he said.

“It does seem that perhaps this policy is slightly out of step and is robbing the organisation of three people with the potential to be excellent guards and serve the community well.”

At a time when the force needed to be modernised, and efforts were being made to broaden the scope of recruits, Mr O’Connor said the decision did not make much sense. It would be more understandable if the tattoos might be offensive to a particular religious group or made a political comment of some sort, he said.

The GRA will be seeking a review of the policy, the association’s president added.

“Something that’s more agile and more reflective of the wider social values of our very modern, tolerant and inclusive society should be reflected in the gardaí. Not the conservatism of previous generations.”