The Garda Representative Association has defended a decision not to invite Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to its annual conference.
It’s the first time a representative body has taken such action.
In a statement this afternoon, President of the GRA and Donegal based Garda Brendan O’Connor says it reflects the breakdown in trust in the relationship between Commissioner Drew Harris and 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 very 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 cliché 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 which is the primary forum to reflect the very 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.”
