Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan may not attend the annual conference of the Garda Representative Association (GRA) in April if the association fails to backdown on its decision not to invite Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.
When the commissioner was not invited 12 months ago, after relations between Mr Harris and the GRA had deteriorated, then minister for justice Helen McEntee declined to attend the conference in an act of solidarity with the commissioner.
It is understood no decision has been made by Mr O’Callaghan not to attend what would be his first high profile event with the biggest Garda association, which represents about 11,000 rank and file gardaí. However, security sources said they believed he would likely not attend unless Mr Harris was offered an invite.
Mr O’Callaghan was on Thursday due to meet the leadership of the GRA for talks, where the matter of Mr Harris’s conference snub was expected to be raised. In reply to queries from The Irish Times, the Department of Justice said the meeting between Mr O’Callaghan and the GRA would involve the discussion of “a range of issues”.
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“As Minister O’Callaghan has already stated it is important for the office of the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána to be respected,” it said. “Minister O’Callaghan understands the importance of maintaining constructive and professional engagement regarding industrial relations matters.”
The annual delegate conference of the GRA was due to take place in Co Kerry at the end of April and is the largest event the association holds each year. The minister and commissioner of the day are usually invited to attend and address delegates. However, the GRA last year decided not to invite Mr Harris and has repeated that approach this year.
The decision not to invite him has followed a protracted period of difficult relations between the GRA and the commissioner, with the association putting an unprecedented vote of no confidence in the commissioner to its members in 2023. That was carried by a majority of almost 99 per cent amid a row of gardaí campaigning at the time to remain on rosters put in place for the pandemic.
Mr Harris is due to leave his role as commissioner in early summer, meaning this year’s GRA conference would be the last one he would be able to attend before he retires from the post.
When it emerged earlier this month the GRA executive had again decided not to invite Mr Harris to its conference, Mr O’Callaghan said he planned to meet the association and while he would not issue any “ultimatum” he believed the commissioner should be “respected”.
