The largest Garda staff association has launched its second strong attack in a fortnight on Commissioner Noel Conroy in the ongoing row over the proposed Garda reserve.
Garda Representative Association (GRA) general secretary PJ Stone said the decision by Commissioner Conroy to travel to Britain last Friday with Minister for Justice Michael McDowell on a "junket" in relation to the reserve force was an insult to gardaí.
Mr Conroy travelled to Chester with Mr McDowell and a party of officials and Irish journalists.
The visit was to find out how the reserve force worked in Britain. Mr McDowell and Mr Conroy also attended the annual conference in Chester of the British reserve force.
Mr Stone commented: "This is a sinister turn of events and I am saddened the Garda Commissioner decided to steal away to the event despite the repeated protests by the majority of his members at regional information meetings held all over the country by the GRA and Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors.
"Would he not have been better served waiting until our forthcoming conferences before outlining his position on the Garda Reserve rather than taking part in this junket to one of the wealthiest parts of the UK?
"To do it in this fashion is probably the greatest insult levelled at gardaí by any commissioner, considering the lack of money being invested in his own force."
Two weeks ago Mr Stone, in an unprecedented step, accused Mr Conroy of lacking leadership over plans for the reserve force.
A spokesman for Mr Conroy last night said he had no comment to make about the GRA's statement.Mr Conroy used the visit to Chester to give his backing to the reserve force, saying it was now enshrined in the Garda Síochána Act and he and his force could not ignore it.
Mr Stone said that Cheshire was one of the most sought after addresses in Britain and visiting it to see how the reserve force worked there had no relevance in the Irish context.
Cheshire constabulary had 2,000 full-time police officers, with 900 civilians employed and less than 400 reserve constables. The current proposal for the Garda Reserve was for 4,000 reservists, representing 40 per cent of the Garda force, or twice the Cheshire figure.
"Why does Mr McDowell not compare the civilianisation programmes in both jurisdictions, reactivate the Garda civilianisation programme to free up more gardaí and forget about this reservist policy?" Mr Stone asked.
