More than half of all gifts accepted by gardaí in the last five years were in contravention of anti-corruption rules.
These included gifts of alcohol and tickets for pop concerts and sporting events. Senior officers approved the acceptance of the gifts, despite them being against Garda policy.
The findings are contained in a report by the Policing and Community Safety Authority (PCSA), formerly the Policing Authority, which examined the implementation of anti-corruption measures within the force in recent years.
It found the Garda’s “gifts, hospitality and sponsorship policy” required immediate attention. There was a lack of clarity on the meaning of the policy and this “is leading to differing interpretations of what is acceptable”, it said.
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As well as accepting gifts in contravention of regulations, many gardaí were failing to record gifts they received, the review found.
The authority reviewed the gift registers for five Garda divisions and found just two gifts had been recorded in a six-month period last year. It said this was not credible and “there is therefore a concern that the registers are not being comprehensively completed”.
Furthermore, Garda Headquarters has failed to publicly publish its gifts register since mid-2021, despite policy mandating that such information be made public on a regular basis.
The last publicly available recorded gift is for a €20 coffee voucher received by a garda in Tralee, Co Kerry, in July 2021.
Garda anti-corruption policy forbids the acceptance of a broad range of gifts, including alcohol, cash, cheques, vouchers and anything that could “compromise the impartiality of personnel”.
Members are also barred from accepting gifts from people or businesses subject to specific Garda supervision, such as pub owners, and from those who may have to pay the Garda for policing services, such as event organisers.
However, acceptance of some gifts is permissible in limited circumstances. For example, accepting lunch at certain events is permitted, while officers are not required to record offers of refreshments “where payment would not normally be expected” – for example, a cup of tea during a house call.
However, gardaí are not allowed to accept any gift of substantial value, nor are they allowed solicit gifts.
The review “found that since 2021, over 50 per cent of the gifts were accepted in contravention of the policy and procedures document”.
The fact that senior officers signed off on these gifts “casts a significant shadow over the extent of compliance by the rest of An Garda Síochána,” it said.
The acceptance of gifts of alcohol has declined in recent years, except in cases where it was given for fundraisers or charitable causes, the PCSA said.
Forty-seven per cent of gifts accepted between 2022 and 2024 were for fundraising – for example, prizes donated by a business to a Garda-run raffle to raise money for a local senior citizens’ club.
The PCSA commended gardaí for their commitment to such community work but raised concerns that such gifts may come from pubs and restaurants that have professional dealings with the force.
The authority called for more clarity in the Garda policy, including specifying what constitutes a gift of “significant value”.
The matter will be discussed on Thursday at a meeting between the PCSA and Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly.
