Two of the Garda representative associations have refused to discuss the Garda Reserve Force with the Oireachtas Committee.
The Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, the Garda Commissioner, Noel Conroy, and representatives of the GRA and the AGSI appeared before the Justice Committee to discuss draft regulations for the proposed reserve.
The Garda Representative Association and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors said the force was an industrial relations issue which they would first discuss with their arbitration body, the Garda Conciliation Council, which is due to meet tomorrow.
Both associations, however, said they would return and discuss the issue at a later date.
Meanwhile, the Garda Superintendents Association, which supports the reserve force proposals, said the proposed training period of 16 days is not enough and that the reserves should first be used on a pilot phased basis.
Earlier, Mr McDowell told the committee that he planned to bring regulations for the Garda Reserve Force to Government next month.
Both Fine Gael and Labour said they had no objections to the setting up of a reserve as long as it was not used as a substitute for the full-time force.
General Secretary of the Garda Representative Association, PJ Stone, told the meeting that the GRA had an open mind going into the conciliation process, regarding the reserve force.
He said the timing and appropriateness was the key issue and that everything was on the table at the conciliation talks.
Fianna Fáil Senator Terry Leyden said the Garda Reserve Force was not in the programme for Government and he saw no ground swell of support for it among the public.
