FOUR GARDA SERGEANTS who walked out of the Minister for Justice’s speech to their association’s national conference will not face punishment for their actions.
The four sergeants, from the Carlow-Kilkenny district, followed a mandate from their members when they walked out of Alan Shatter’s speech to the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors’ (AGSI) national conference in Sligo this week – while also absenting themselves for a speech by the Garda Commissioner.
The four were summoned to a meeting with assistant commissioner Fintan Fanning at the Garda training college in Templemore yesterday afternoon, in a meeting which was also attended by senior figures from the AGSI itself.
A joint statement issued after the meeting – which went on for six hours – said all sides considered the matter to have been ‘resolved’.
It said the four representatives had not meant to cause offence to the Garda Commissioner, Martin Callinan, through their actions – and that they all personally had full confidence in him.
“The speech by the Garda Commissioner to [the AGSI] Conference, and his comments on the RTÉ News at One on today’s date, were particularly helpful and magnanimous”, it added.
Callinan told yesterday’s TV news that “what has happened has happened… this is a time for cool heads and a time for appropriate reflection on what has happened.”
The four sergeants said they regretted that the dispute with Shatter had been “played out on TV and in the public arena”.
“All parties consider the matter now resolved and look forward to continuing to serve the Community.”
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