Rank and file gardaí have said the 'operating policing model', the structure by which the country is policed, has failed and is not fit for purpose.
The Garda Representative Association is calling on Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to review the model immediately and publish the results.
For the second consecutive year neither the minister nor the commissioner will be attending the GRA annual conference, which opened in Co Kerry this evening, because the association said it has no confidence in Mr Harris and has not invited him.
The GRA is the third garda representative body, following the superintendents, sergeants and inspectors, to criticise the operating policing model.
It said the policing model is "an unmitigated disaster where people [are] tied up in red tape and bureaucracy".
GRA President Mark O’Meara said gardaí are sitting behind computer screens, filling in forms and filing reports when they should be out on the streets.
Rank and file gardaí also feel they are constrained when it comes to pursuing reckless and dangerous criminals, particularly those on scramblers and electric motorbikes.
They said they can respond but not pursue because they have not been trained and if something goes wrong, gardaí get blamed.
They want Commissioner Harris to immediately implement a comprehensive training programme aligned with international best standards.
Without it, the GRA said, gardaí are exposed to unacceptable professional, legal, and personal risks, while compromising public safety.
Mr O’Meara also said that gardaí regularly receive speeding tickets while responding to calls and one ended up in court where it was dismissed.
With the increase in road traffic incidents and fatalities, the GRA also wants Commissioner Harris to address the shortage of Forensic Collision Investigators by appointing all those currently acting as such to full-time posts and to draft a policy to ensure the highest investigation standards are maintained.
Gardaí are also seeking a review of public order training and access to a stronger incapacitant spray; a new scheme to help them buy a home whereby the State would provide a percentage of the purchase price, determined on an economic and geographical basis; and to be able to stop making pension payments after 30 years.
They are also highly critical of the commissioner’s suspensions policy and want cases reviewed through an independent and external appeals process.
The GRA is also seeking an increased nighttime allowance and new improved gear for garda motorcycle riders.
Speaking on RTE's Morning Ireland, Mr O'Meara said the decision to not invite Commissioner Harris was based on a consensus of no confidence in the commissioner within the organisation.
"Our decision was based on the voice of our membership, the 11,000 members that we represent, and their voice was absolutely clear: there was no confidence in the office of the Garda Commissioner."
Mr O’Meara said that the decision was debated "at length" by the GRA’s Central Executive Committee.
He added that while Commissioner Harris was not invited, Minister O’Callaghan had been, but that "the minister, on this occasion, decided not to attend our conference, not to listen to the voices of the frontline men and women of An Garda Síochána, of Garda rank, and we think that’s a clear and missed opportunity by him."
Commissioner Harris messaged all gardaí in February, following the GRA's decision not to invite him to address it conference.
In a statement this morning, An Garda Síochána said that message would have formed the basis of the commissioner's speech to the conference.
In it, the commissioner said he noted the decision not to invite him, and outlined "some important elements" of what he would have included in his address.
He said a range of additional measures have been put in place by management to support rank and file gardaí since the last GRA conference he attended in 2023, including a new roster, extending the age limits for new recruits to 50, the roll-out of 700 body-cameras, improved non-lethal equipment for ERU and ASU and vehicles and training for public order gardaí.
Mr Harris also said that "there has been a focused expansion of welfare and support services including over 3,000 Garda personnel trained in mental health first aid" and "improved promotional opportunities at sergeant and inspector ranks, including the growth of both sergeant and inspector ranks by 200 since 2018."
He said garda management has also supported requests in relation to improvements to travel and subsistence payments.
The commissioner said that notwithstanding the GRA's decision not to invite him to its conference, he remains open to "productive and fruitful engagement with all the staff associations, particularly at annual conferences, which offer an unparalleled opportunity for professional and respectful engagement."
