LAST UPDATE | 13 Feb

A GARDA GROUP has again voted to not invite the Commissioner Drew Harris to its annual conference but the Justice Minister has said the organisation’s leadership position must be respected.

The Garda Representative Association (GRA) annual delegate conference is set to take place in Kerry in April – they have voted to not invite Drew Harris to the event in a protest.

It will be the second year in a row that they have not invited Harris having done the same last year. 

It is traditional for the Commissioner and the Minister for Justice to attend the event as they do also with the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors Association (AGSI).

Last year’s move by the GRA prompted then Justice Minister Helen McEntee to not attend also.

It is anticipated that Drew Harris will leave his post of Garda Commissioner in April or May when his contract ends. 

Jim O’Callaghan, the Minister for Justice, has said this morning that he will meet with the GRA and AGSI later this month. 

When asked this morning by reporters if he would have preferred that the Commissioner was invited he said that it would have been a peace offering. O’Callaghan did not answer if he would be attending.  

“I think it would be a good olive branch [to invite Harris].

“I think he’s coming towards the end of his term, but I’m not issuing ultimatums here. I have to meet the GRA. I’ll meet them, and I’ll discuss with them their issues, like I haven’t really been officially informed by the GRA of any issues in respect of the Garda Commissioner,” he said. 

The Minister is set to meet the GRA and AGSI later this month and said he would discuss the issue with them first. 

“I think I’m going to do them the courtesy of meeting them first but I also think irrespective of who occupies the Office of the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána, we’ve got to ensure that position and that person is respected,” he said.

Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan meeting Commissioner Drew Harris at a recent event. Rollingnews.ie Rollingnews.ie

In recent years there has been a prickly relationship between the garda representative associations and the serving garda commissioner.

It came close to breaking point and industrial action in 2023 and 2024 over a number of issues, including rosters, discipline and unachievable administrative tasks. 

In September 2023, the GRA membership also voted overwhelmingly to express no confidence in the Commissioner, with 98.7% of the 85% member turnout voting ‘no’, a record return for the organisation.  

AGSI has continued to invite the Commissioner to their annual delegate conference. 

Yesterday the GRA Central Executive Committee voted again to not invite Harris. 

In a joint statement GRA President Mark O’Meara and General Secretary Ronan Slevin said that gardaí continue to be unhappy about unresolved industrial relations issues inside the organisation.

“Last year we made our feelings very clear borne out of continued frustration with the inactions of the Commissioner.

“Last year’s decision was very much the correct one due to the vote of no confidence that had been passed by a 98.7% majority of the GRA membership.

“One year on, the GRA members have not seen enough progress or change to warrant a u-turn in this regard, and as such, the CEC have decided not to extend an invitation to the Commissioner to attend and speak at our Annual Conference in April,” he statement read. 

The GRA added that they are due to meet with the new Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan at the end of February. 

A statement from An Garda Síochána said: “Despite the GRA’s decision being placed in the public domain, the Garda Commissioner has not received any official correspondence from the GRA about this matter.

“Since the GRA and AGSI conferences less than a year ago, a range of additional measures have been put in place by Garda management to support Gardaí.”

The Garda statement listed out several achievements of the Commissioner in the last 12 months since the last representative body conferences. 

These included the new roster, an increase in retirement age, age limits increased for recruits, body-cameras, equipment for gardaí including armed units and water cannons. 

The garda organisation also listed new operational equipment which, it said, were purchased after discussions with the representative bodies and new vehicles, mental health training and more promotions. 

“Garda management also supported the Garda associations’ request in relation to Travel and Subsistence payments

“Commissioner Harris has always been open to productive and fruitful engagement with the Staff Associations, particularly at Annual Conferences which form an important part of the Commissioner’s professional and respectful engagement with them,” the statement added.