Allister accuses PSNI of ‘all-Ireland symbolism’ after Garda band joins officer attestation
- Love Ballymena
- 6 hours ago
- 5 min read
The forty-five new PSNI officers who formally attested on Friday at the Police College, Garnerville, accompanied by the pipes and drums of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and An Garda Síochána bands.
TUV leader Jim Allister has accused the PSNI leadership of engaging in “all-Ireland symbolism” after members of An Garda Síochána’s band took part in a ceremony marking the attestation of 45 new police officers in Belfast.
The North Antrim MP described the Garda band’s participation at the Police College, Garnerville, on Friday as “inappropriate and deliberately provocative” and has challenged Chief Constable Jon Boutcher to explain who invited the musicians, whether such involvement has happened before and why it was considered appropriate.
The criticism follows an attestation ceremony attended by both Mr Boutcher and Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly, who was making his first visit to a PSNI attestation.
Members of the Pipes and Drums of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and An Garda Síochána bands provided music at the event.
Allister challenges Garda ceremonial role
TUV party leader and North Antrim MP Jim Allister
Mr Allister drew a distinction between operational cross-border policing co-operation, which he said was necessary, and the ceremonial involvement of An Garda Síochána in the induction of new PSNI officers.
“The participation of the Garda band in the formal attestation of new PSNI officers at Garnerville is both inappropriate and deliberately provocative,” he said.
“These officers were being inducted into the police service of part of the United Kingdom. Yet the occasion was used to parade the uniform and insignia of the police force of a foreign state and promote an all-Ireland policing narrative.
“No one disputes the necessity of practical co-operation between neighbouring police forces in combating terrorism and cross-border crime. That is entirely different from inserting Garda ceremonial personnel into the formal attestation of United Kingdom police officers.”
The TUV leader argued that the presence of Commissioner Kelly and the Garda band carried a wider political significance.
“The presence of the Garda Commissioner, accompanied by his band, was clearly intended to carry political and constitutional symbolism,” Mr Allister said.
“Indeed, his comments about ‘our police family’ and keeping communities ‘on this island’ safe expose the all-Ireland message behind the occasion.”
He added: “The PSNI leadership appears increasingly comfortable indulging nationalist symbolism while displaying scant regard for the constitutional position and sensitivities of the unionist community.
“The PSNI is not an adjunct of the Garda and Northern Ireland is not part of an all-Ireland policing jurisdiction.”
Mr Allister concluded by calling directly on the Chief Constable to provide answers.
“The Chief Constable should explain who invited the Garda band, whether this has ever occurred before and why it was considered appropriate to turn the attestation of PSNI officers into a platform for all-Ireland symbolism.”
Chief Constable welcomes Garda Commissioner
Chief Constable Jon Boutcher welcomes An Garda Síochána Commissioner Justin Kelly on his first visit to a PSNI attestation.
The PSNI presented Friday’s event in markedly different terms, focusing on the graduation of the 45 new constables and policing co-operation between the two services.
Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said Commissioner Kelly’s attendance marked a proud occasion for the officers and their families.
“This was the Commissioner’s first visit to one of our attestations and we thank him for his time to mark such a proud day for our new officers, their family and friends,” Mr Boutcher said.
“Our new constables are joining the service during our anniversary year, marking 25 years’ service to the community of Northern Ireland.
“There is no other profession like policing. Officers and staff literally save lives and improve and protect the quality of life for our communities every single day, the rewards are immeasurable.”
The Chief Constable described attestation ceremonies as highlights of the policing calendar and said the declaration made by each new officer commits them to serving the community with “fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality”.
“These ceremonies are quite rightly the highlights of the policing calendar,” he said.
“We welcome and celebrate our new colleagues in front of their family and friends who should be rightly proud of the commitment their loved ones have making a positive difference to life in Northern Ireland.”
Commissioner speaks of ‘our police family’
Chief Constable Jon Boutcher and An Garda Síochána Commissioner Justin Kelly speak with some of the PSNI’s new officers
Commissioner Kelly, meanwhile, described attending the ceremony as an honour and spoke explicitly about strengthening co-operation between the two police services.
“It’s an honour to be at the attestation of newest members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and I want to thank Chief Constable Boutcher for inviting me to this momentous day as these officers embark on their policing careers,” he said.
“I know the sacrifices they have made to get here and salute them for answering the call to serve their communities. I wish them well on joining our police family.
“I look forward to deepening the long-standing co-operation between An Garda Síochána and the PSNI as together we continue our work to keep all communities on this island safe.”
It is those references to “our police family” and “this island” which Mr Allister has singled out in support of his contention that the ceremony carried an all-Ireland political message.
The PSNI statement, however, characterised the occasion as an attestation for its newest officers and highlighted the relationship and co-operation between the two policing organisations. It did not attribute any political or constitutional significance to the Garda presence.
PSNI seeks a more representative service
Chief Constable Jon Boutcher and An Garda Síochána Commissioner Justin Kelly during the attestation
Beyond the Garda involvement, Mr Boutcher used the ceremony to encourage people from across Northern Ireland to consider policing as a career.
“We will continue to engage with all communities and would strongly encourage anyone who is interested in a career in policing and who did not apply in our most recent student officer campaign to talk to us about future opportunities,” he said.
“We are determined for the Police Service to be even more representative of the community we serve and we want the diversity of our organisation to mirror the richness of the communities that make up Northern Ireland. We are seeking support from everyone in Northern Ireland to help us to achieve that objective.”
Wishing the 45 new constables well, the Chief Constable said he hoped they would enjoy long and rewarding careers in the PSNI, which he described after more than 40 years as a police officer as “the best police service in the world”.
VIDEO: Forty-five new PSNI officers who formally attested on Friday at the Police College, Garnerville, accompanied by the pipes and drums of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and An Garda Síochána bands.
The political dispute now centres not on the established principle of co-operation between the PSNI and An Garda Síochána — something Mr Allister himself said was necessary in tackling terrorism and cross-border crime — but on whether the Garda’s ceremonial involvement in a PSNI attestation crossed a line into political symbolism.
Mr Allister has put three specific questions to the Chief Constable over who invited the Garda band, whether it had participated in a PSNI attestation previously and why its involvement was considered appropriate. Those questions remain the key points on which a further PSNI response could clarify the circumstances surrounding Friday’s ceremony.
