A row between Minister for Justice Michael McDowell and members of An Garda Síochána over plans for a garda reserve is set to deepen on Monday with a mass meeting of members of the force who are against the plan.
Members of the rank of inspector, sergeant and garda will meet in the Sligo Park Hotel, Sligo, on Monday evening. They will be addressed by senior officials from the Garda Representative Association (GRA) and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (Agsi).
GRA president Dermot O'Donnell last night described the current plans as ridiculous.
"We will be giving our members as much information as we have up to now - that the Garda reserve will be virtually untrained, that they will have full police powers and that they will not have to observe the same residential disqualifications as qualified gardaí," he said.
Monday's meeting will hear that the executive committees of both organisations are totally opposed to the reserve force and that they have formulated a joint strategy of opposition. This strategy will be outlined to the meeting.
Under the current plans, reservists will only operate under the supervision of full-time members. If full-time members withdrew their co-operation the plans would, in theory, be unworkable.
Both the GRA and Agsi have voiced strong opposition to plans for a garda reserve in recent weeks and have been critical of Mr McDowell for failing to consult them. Recently, GRA general secretary PJ Stone described Mr McDowell's plans as stupid.
Monday's meeting will be the first in a series of gatherings around the country ahead of the annual conferences of the Agsi and GRA in April and May when any obstruction policies could be put to a vote.
Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy has drawn up plans for the deployment of training of reservists. These were received by Mr McDowell last week and are currently being considered by him.
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