Gardaí to vote on non-cooperation with Reserve
Rank-and-file gardaí are today set to vote on a policy of non-cooperation with the proposed Garda Reserve.
The plan by Justice Minister Michael McDowell to recruit 4,000 volunteers for community policing has dominated the annual conference of the Garda Representative Association (GRA) in Galway.
The 166 delegates, who represent 9,500 rank-and-file members around the country, are set to vote on a motion to oppose the Reserve.
The debate on the motion went on for more than two hours during the first day of the GRA’s conference and delegates voted for the time limit to be extended so that more speakers could outline their opposition.
The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors approved a policy of non-co-operation with the proposed Reserve at its conference last month, but only by a slim majority.
Mr McDowell has warned both unions that a policy of non-cooperation would be illegal.
