LAST UPDATE | 13 Sep 2023

GARDA COMMISSIONER DREW Harris has described the landslide no confidence vote in his leadership by rank and file gardaí as a “kick in the teeth”. 

Drew Harris was speaking in Kildare this afternoon and called the result a “bitter blow”. 

Earlier this afternoon, the Garda Representative Association (GRA) announced that its members voted overwhelmingly to express no confidence in the commissioner, with 98.7% of the 85% member turnout voting ‘no’, a record return for the GRA. 

At the press conference announcing the result of the vote, GRA leadership cited a number of issues affecting their members, including staff retention, a “toxic” atmosphere, oversight processes, suspensions and rostered hours. 

Harris defended his post as Commissioner and denied that the gardaí were in a “crisis” .

“I am hugely disappointed – it feels like a real kick in the teeth.

“The thing about this is that I am employed to do a job – I am employed to protect the people of Ireland, I am employed to use our resources to maximise the protection for the people of Ireland and that means a change of roster. 

“The message today we are continuing the course that we are on and return to the agreed roster,” he said. 

When asked will he resign in response to the no confidence ballot result he said: “The answer is an emphatic no. That would be a completely illogical response to the situation that we face.”

The Commissioner said that he believed that the membership of the Garda Representative Association were confused about the question.

“Trust doesn’t come into it. It  is unclear what they were voting for, I think. I believe that they felt they were voting on the decision to go back to the original roster,” he added. 

Harris said that he will continue to offer a negotiation for a new roster. 

“There is a lot of good going on in the organisation and I feel the GRA are creating a distorted picture of what is happening in An Garda Síochána,” he added.  

Harris said that he does not believe that coming from Northern Ireland was forming part of the reason for the vote but added: “I cannot speak to the motivations of others”. 

The GRA had raised concerns around a claim of overbearing discipline issues that this forms part of the reasons why there is such discontent in the organisation.

In response Harris said: “We take a very measured approach to discipline”. 

Minister comments

Meanwhile Minister Helen McEntee speaking also in Kildare appealed to the GRA to return to negotiations. 

“I think this vote is regrettable, we are in the middle of industrial relations dispute, the GRA themselves have said this is around rosters and I have said consistently the only way to deal with the matter is for people to get around the table. 

“I believe this is a very personalised route that has been taken,” she said. 

McEntee said that she believed that the Commissioner’s position “is tenable” and that the Government as a whole has support for Harris’ position.

The Minister said she has no role in deciding on rostering and said it was only a matter for the Commissioner. 

Currently there is no full time appointed official managing Human Resources in An Garda Síochaána – the current manager is in an acting position.

McEntee denied that this had any role in the current industrial dispute.