The Policing Authority has strongly criticised An Garda Síochána's work on changing policing in Ireland and accuses it of repeatedly overpromising but under delivering.
In a report published today, the authority says change has not reached the frontline and there is scepticism among officers towards the modernisation and renewal programme.
While the report praises some areas of the organisation, it also says the lack of a strategic vision has 'bedevilled' the implementation of change and not enough attention is being given to HR, ICT, accommodation, training and finance.
This is the seventh report the Policing Authority has published on the garda efforts to change policing in Ireland and like the previous six it makes grim reading for garda management.
The report is highly critical of the garda in many areas.
It says the force plans without thinking about the organisation's capacity to carry these through and that it overpromises but under delivers.
In spite of an additional 800 new recruits, with more to come, the authority says there is no settled view as to what the expanded workforce will look like, how it will be trained, organised and how best it can serve the community.
The report also says pockets of An Garda Síochána, such as the Risk Management Office, have demonstrated a real appetite for change.
