Minister yet to reply to gra’s invite after Harris was snubbed
Rank and file officers’ ‘morale is in tatters’
THE decision by rank and file gardai not to invite the force’s Commissioner to their annual conference could lead to the Justice Minister snubbing the event.
Helen Mcentee confirmed yesterday she had received an invite but did not verify if she would attend.
She described the decision by the Garda Representative Association not to invite Garda Commissioner Drew Harris as a “personalisation” of the issues between them.
But the GRA said the decision not to invite Mr Harris reflects the “breakdown in trust” between him and rank and file gardai.
A statement from her department said: “She notes the ongoing IR issues but regrets the repeated personalisation of them as she believes dialogue and interaction are the only way forward in such situations.”
The unprecedented snub to the Garda Commissioner comes amid growing discontent with Garda members on a series of issues, including a long-running wrangle on proposed changes to working rosters.
GRA president Brendan O‘connor said the decision by the association’s Central Executive Committee came after a “very honest and forthright debate”.
In a statement Mr O’connor said: “This decision simply reflects the breakdown in trust in the relationship between the Commissioner and the rank and file members.
“The decision of the Central Executive Committee was arrived at after a very honest and forthright debate following consultation with their divisional representatives during which the strength of feeling about unresolved issues was very evident.
“The issues that contributed to the vote of no confidence continue to impact in a real sense on the morale and working environment that our members still experience every day.
“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 overarching 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 cliche to state that morale is in tatters.
“Therefore, the Association could not maintain credibility if the Commissioner is afforded an opportunity to articulate a management perspective and message at a conference.
“An event, the primary forum to reflect the real concerns and frustrations of our members, many of which are a direct result of initiatives and policies implemented by the Commissioner in the absence of meaningful consultation.”