No invite for Harris to GRA meeting as morale ‘in tatters’

THE Garda Representative Association has justified its unprecedented step of not inviting Commissioner Drew Harris to its annual meeting this year by saying force morale is ‘in tatters’.

The GRA, which represents over 10,000 rank-and file officers, took the decision following a meeting of its Central Executive Committee earlier this week.

The CEC voted by two-thirds not to invite Mr Harris to its conference in Westport, Co. Mayo, in April. GRA president Brendan O’Connor said: ‘This decision simply reflects the breakdown in trust in the relationship between the Commissioner and the rank-and-file members we represent who gave us a unanimous and unambiguous indication of their feelings last September. At a time when our members feel increasingly vulnerable and exposed to danger, they require stability and support from internal structures. Unfortunately, this is not the case and these challenges have coincided with a programme of change much of which has been implemented with minimal consultation and often without training.

‘This, coupled with an over-arching atmosphere of fear created by the overzealous application of discipline and oversight, are genuinely impacting on the ability of our members to do their job with confidence. It is far from a cliché to state morale is in tatters.’

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee, who has continued to back the Commissioner, has yet to confirm if she will accept her invite to attend. It is the first time any Garda association has declined to invite a Commissioner to its annual conference. The move comes amid discontent among Garda members on a series of issues, including proposed changes to working rosters. Mr Harris has not yet responded to the snub.