Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
WORK STRESS, ASSAULTS and arbitrary suspensions will be the key discussion points as rank and file gardaí meet for their annual conference this week.
The Garda Representative Association (GRA) will meet in Westport for the next three days with the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and Minister for Justice Simon Harris both set to address the conference.
The theme is “Breaking Point” – President of the GRA Brendan O’Connor will tell delegates later today that there is a growing problem with morale.
“I will discuss these further at the conference, from the ongoing Roster negotiations, to concerns of growing inflation and the rising costs of living, to assaults on our members and a growing problem with morale.
“Many members have felt undervalued, under-resourced and disenfranchised by garda management and we now face a serious issue with both recruitment and retention which has seen the garda strength contract while many of our members tell us of tales of endless bureaucracy which restricts movement, commitment and their work life balance,” he said.
O’Connor has called on delegates to stand together and unite to face the challenges ahead.
“As you know, the theme for this Conference is Breaking Point, a very powerful yet poignant message, and one which carries an enormous significance for our members who continue to go above and beyond the call of duty to protect the public as we promised to do, yet we continue to come under attack from external and internal parties.
“But we have strength when we stand together, and we will continue to challenge garda management and government departments on all matters that concern the health, safety and wellbeing of our members,” he added.
One key motion due to be discussed comes from delegates in Meath in regard to the practice of suspensions as gardaí are investigated for discipline matters.
The motion states that there is a “high level of suspensions” and called on the Commissioner to carry out a review into the practice.
The motion said there is “the lack of a transparent decision making process in the consideration of whether a member should be suspended”.
They have asked the Commissioner to introduce a “strict criteria” to determine if there is a need for suspensions.
There is also a motion looking at the crisis in recruitment and retention and calls for exit interviews to be introduced of resigning gardaí.
There are a number of motions looking at the burden of bureaucracy on gardaí – a entry from the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) West grouping identified the volume of investigations which gardaí are having to conduct.
They have called on a “maximum number of investigations”, they have also called for an examination of a Performance Accountability Framework (PAF) as it was having a profound impact on “members’ wellbeing and in particular stress levels.
Louth division gardaí as well as their colleagues in the DMR South Central have called for an immediate study of stress levels caused “overloading” of bureaucracy.
Cork City division has called for action to be taken immediately to reduce the “numerous assaults” on gardaí.
The conference takes place in Westport, Co Mayo until Wednesday.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
The Commissioners contract was extended to June 2025 which is quite unbelievable given that he is trying his level best to destroy the organisation be it intentionally or otherwise. The Government are just sitting back and watching the whole thing burn before their eyes.
@Gregson from the Block: Requiring accountability that’s all. They have been a law onto themselves previously.
I own a small business in my town and regularly see the same guarda out and about in the town weather that be during the day or on Saturday nights. It seems that there is about 20% of people doing 90% of the work ? I’m well aware that there is a greater number of guards in the station but what do they do ??
And attendance at dodgy parties no doubt
@Anne Busher Collins: that was a civil servant working for the Garda Ombudsman, no serving Gardai work in there
@Anne Busher Collins: ah bless poor Anna doesn’t know the difference between GSOC and the Gardai
@johnbrady: hmmm and yet you seem to be dismissive of the seriousness of organised crime infiltrating both Garda and GSOC / organised crime gangs that manages to use Garda Uniforms for a murder / leading detectives working on that specific case committing suicide in a Garda station / a a member of GSOC who investigate the Garda attending the party celebrating the release / and you think trying to be condescending and splitting hairs over the organisation structures of our police force is somehow going to deflect from the scandal – jog on
@Disco Inferno: not necessarily correct … there have been gards there on secondment
@Dave Hammond: wearing boiler suits and military helmets with AK 47s none of which were garda issued
@Mc Comascaigh Paul: There aren’t any currently, and that secondment ended 2 years ago.
@johnbrady: The condescending arrogance is breathtaking, (To Anne Busher). From Maurice McCabe to Paul Reynolds suggesting the monk was tipped off because he was ‘always ahead of the game’ to the many Gardai personally abusing Drew Harris because of his attempted reforms. Criticism ok, personal abuse that should be beneath ye. Can ye not see the damage the few are doing to the majority of cops and to the public with arrogance like that. Nobody is perfect but you need to understand that before you can begin to put it right. The saddest thing is we ALL want to be supportive of the Gardai but boy do ye make it difficult.
@Disco Inferno: oh ye?, suppose they don’t need it anymore given that they send most investigations on to be investigated by AGS anyway !!
@Disco Inferno: heard he was a great lad all together
Westport, nice 3 days. I see suspension of Garda is going to be a talking point. A more valid talking point would be dismissal of Garda . The organization has lost the publics respect in many areas. Another one recently caught in Dublin airport with a pocket full of white .
I’m expecting the same ‘outrage’ we see for education…
@thesaltyurchin: why?
@William slevin: par for the course no?
@thesaltyurchin: so people complain about the teachers they must also need to complain about the garda?
Here I’ll help you out the garda organisation as an organ of the state is corrupt…they have an us and them mentality, many see themselves as seperate to the people they serve they in fact think they are superior to the people they serve…many of the population got to see the nasty side of many a garda during the pandemic…
Examples of garda abuse and corruption are a couple of mayo garda joking about raping a woman protestor, who was protesting about the corrib oil fields I think it was…she secretly recorded it and used it as evidence against them…
Then their was the false breathalyser tests over a million of them…
Hitting on rape victims giving their statements…
The entire corruption that garda mcabe exposed…which two commisioners had to step down…
A ban Garda drug addict selling information for drugs to drug dealers in sligo…
Garda commiting purgery in court just to get a conviction…
Garda fasley arresting people without reasonable cause…
Garda assaulting members of the public…
Garda extorting foreign dilveroo drivers…
The list is near endless amount of corruption in the garda organisation and just about all of what of just said has been reported by thejournal.ie at one point or another.
As far as I can tell and i won’t say this about every garda because I’ve met some good ones…but it seems to be as an organisation and a culture with the garda they have a disdain for the people they serve why otherwise would their be so much abuse and corruption amongst their ranks…
Hope that satisfied you
@William slevin: Pretty concise evaluation Bill. I’m alluding to those that would look to make our only 2 functioning institutions worse rather than better, teachers are the easier target tbf, in this instance I’ve had too few run ins with Garda to really have an opinion of any nuance, but I appreciate that people’s taxes have insured desirable, necessary employment that can maintain a reasonably middle class life (depending on ones circumstance, family etc). Accountability is needed across the PS tho
@thesaltyurchin: the garda aren’t a function ing institution what they are is a self corrupt self serving institution…
As for the teachers and the school system…I call them the murder machine as in the murder of young minds, literally then came across a pamphlet book in my early 20′s by padrig Pearce called the murder machine…speaking similarly of my thoughts but of the british education system murdering young irish minds…
Today it hasn’t changed the education system is their for the self serving establishment…the entire system needs an overhaul…not everyone needs academics…many are best placed in trades from a young age early teens…were placing to much on the class room for learning…to much on a single piece of paper over experience on the job training and that includes business and so on…
These two institutions are as dysfunctional as the rest and only exist to serve themselves and the establishment…
have your say