Equipment, rosters and lack of judges – unfortunate gardaí to broadcast everything at the conference

Many of the motions to be voted on relate to pay and employment conditions, rosters, pensions and training.

GRA president Brendan O’Connor is expected to tell delegates that deteriorating morale is a major problem among rank-and-file gardaí, who he says feel abandoned and exposed.

Last week Ms McEntee announced she will not attend the conference, which is taking place in Co Mayo this week, as Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has not been invited.

That refusal to invite the commissioner came in the wake of the association’s unprecedented vote of no confidence against Mr Harris last year.

In September, some 98 percent of respondents, more than 9,000 gardaí, in a GRA vote said they had no confidence in Mr Harris.

Detective Garda Mark Ferris, who represents the GRA’s Dublin Metropolitan Region West Division, said in a statement: “The GRA has noted with disappointment the decision by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee not to attend our annual conference, which we understand that it is an implicit act of solidarity. with controversial Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.

“We want to make it clear that the GRA’s decision not to invite Commissioner Harris was not adversarially motivated, but rather was a way to draw attention to our members’ concerns about the direction the force is taking.

“The GRA has a duty to represent the interests and promote the welfare of our members, and we will do this by all means at our disposal. The minister’s absence is regrettable and represents a missed opportunity to free up space for a constructive dialogue. Instead, the Minister had chosen to show solidarity with the Commissioner, against whom, we must not forget, our members had overwhelmingly voted no confidence a few months ago.

“The GRA conference will continue with the usual high level of contributions from members and guests.”

The conference theme, “It’s a Job Worth Protecting,” is a twist on the Corps’ current recruiting slogan, “It’s a Job Worth Doing.”

Among the motions to be discussed is a proposal from officers in the Kildare Division to provide every garda with a personal protective helmet, to reintroduce public order training and to purchase appropriate public order footwear for officers involved in this type of policing.

This motion comes after last November’s riots in Dublin, which Mr O’Connor is expected to describe as an incident where gardaí “remained courageous, steadfast and united” when it emerged that officers in urgent need of public order equipment to to tackle violent disorder in the country, the city center had to travel to Santry to get the necessary equipment.

The GRA will also debate a motion tabled by the DMR South Division calling for the introduction of a woolen hat for gardaí to be worn during inclement weather – as well as the reintroduction of fleece jackets.

The conference will also debate a motion calling for the appointment of more judges due to the backlog of cases in the criminal justice system.