THE ASSOCIATION OF Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) will hold its annual conference this week – although Justice Minister Alan Shatter won’t be attending.

High on the agenda during the ‘Haddington Road: Your Association. Your Review’ conference will be the reform they would like to see take place in an Garda Síochána.

The AGSI’s 31 branches will debate 23 motions, including:

• The provision of a Police Authority to regulate the force
• Issuing of Tazers to more gardaí
• Having the confidential reporting charter reviewed and revised to make it more robust in the protection of genuine garda whistleblowers
• Training for newly promoted Sergeants
• Anew and updated job specification for Sergeants
• A medical review over the prevalence of adverse health conditions among gardaí since the introduction of the Westmanstown Roster.

General Secretary John Redmond added they they have introduced a new feature to the conference this year in the form of a panel debate.

We pose the question – ‘what should a modern police force look like?’ We have external experts joining us so that the views are representative of modern Ireland and not just of our Association.

Panel members include Tom O’Malley, Senior Lecturer in Law, NUI Galway, Tony Geoghegan, CEO, Merchants Quay Ireland and broadcaster Marc Coleman.

John Redmond of AGSI will also sit on the panel, and Jonathan Healy of Newstalk will chair the debate.

As Minister Shatter will not be attending, acting Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan will address delegates tomorrow afternoon, and will take their questions.

The conference will run until Wednesday 16 April at the Malton Hotel in Killarney.

Read: Otherwise engaged: Alan Shatter has decided not to attend this year’s AGSI conference>