Garda boss not invited to rank-and-file conference
Drew Harris has been Garda commissioner since 2018
At a glance
The Garda Representative Association (GRA), which represents over 10,000 rank-and-file officers, has not invited the Irish police chief to its annual conference
Drew Harris has led An Garda Síochána for six years
The GRA passed a vote of no confidence in Mr Harris last September by an overwhelming majority.
- Published
The head of the Irish police force, Drew Harris, has not been invited to attend the Garda Representative Association (GRA) annual conference.
It is the first time any garda association has declined to invite the Garda (Irish police) commissioner to its annual conference, Irish broadcaster RTÉ has reported.
In a statement, the GRA said the decision was arrived at following "a very honest and forthright debate" and consultation with divisional representatives "during which the strength of feeling about unresolved issues was very evident".
The GRA, which represents more than 10,000 rank-and-file gardaí (officers), passed a vote of no confidence in Mr Harris in September by an overwhelming majority.
The vote of no confidence was held against a backdrop of discontent among gardaí over working patterns, problems with recruitment, retention, training and staff morale.
The central executive committee of the GRA voted by a two-thirds majority not to extend an invitation to Mr Harris to attend the conference in Westport, County Mayo, in April and address the delegates.
Mr Harris, who is from Belfast and a former Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) deputy chief constable, took up his role as Garda commissioner, in the Republic of Ireland, more than six years ago.
Mr Harris is the only person appointed from outside the force to lead An Garda Síochána in its 100-year history.
Prior to his appointment in June 2018, he had served in Northern Ireland for 34 years.
He was 18 years old when he joined the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), the Northern Ireland force which was reformed into the PSNI.
His father Alwyn Harris, who was a senior member of the RUC, was killed in an IRA car bomb attack in 1989.
Helen McEntee has been invited to attend the conference
Irish Minister for Justice Helen McEntee described the decision by the GRA not to invited Mr Harris as a "personalisation" of the issues between the force and its chief.
In a statement, Ms McEntee confirmed she had been invited to attend the GRA conference, but did not say if she would be attending.
The minister also said she regretted "the repeated personalisation" of the ongoing issues.