Gardaí to vote on reserve force
Garda sergeants and inspectors will vote on the proposed Garda Reserve at their annual conference.
Minister for Justice Michael McDowell has warned the garda associations they risk “self-destruction” if they pursue their stated policy of non-co-operation.
The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI), which has around 2,000 members, has laid down three separate motions on the Reserve at its annual conference in Killarney.
The most strongly-worded motion directs the AGSI’s national executive to inform Mr McDowell and Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy that members will not operate with the introduction of a Garda Reserve.
Another calls on the Minister for Justice to withdraw his “reckless proposal” and thereby remove the prospect of the creation of a “poorly trained, sub-standard second police force in Ireland”.
Mr McDowell is due to address delegates at the conference tonight in what is likely to be a heated exchange before voting on the motions goes ahead tomorrow.
The other main garda union, the Garda Representative Association (GRA) is also due to vote on a policy of non-cooperation with the volunteer reserve at its annual conference later this month.
There are 56 motions in total on the programme for the three-day AGSI conference, including one from gardaí in Cavan/Monaghan who want full safety equipment, training and resources to deal with high profile public order occasions, “particularly at Halloween when members are exposed to high risk and that a proper risk assessment be carried out in advance”, the motion says.
Another motion calls for a serious collision investigation unit be established on a full time basis to deal with the number of deaths on the roads.
Gardaí in the Cork division want Mr McDowell to make it compulsory for nightclubs to supply drinks in plastic containers, so that injuries from assaults and accidents will be reduced.
Gardaí in six separate divisions want Commissioner Noel Conroy to address the “poor quality and unsuitability” of the new uniform introduced last year as a matter of urgency.
Other motions include:
:: A call for all garda members in traumatic or stressful incidents to be automatically referred to the garda welfare services.
:: A call for legislation to force telecommunication companies to provide details of phone records needed for criminal investigations within a specified legal timeframe.
:: A call for a new policy to deal with threats made against gardaí, their families or their property because of their work
