Gardai must remove posters of meetings from station walls

The association representing rank-and-file gardaí has expressed its concern at being told it cannot hang posters in Garda stations informing its members of meetings to oppose Government plans for a Garda reserve force.

The Garda Representative Association said the instruction from Garda Headquarters, Phoenix Park, Dublin, to take the posters down from station walls was "politically motivated".

"We are being denied the right to inform our members of matters that are of the utmost importance to their careers," said GRA general secretary PJ Stone. "We are a statutory body set up to represent gardaí in all matters affecting their welfare and efficiency and these kind of antics from our own management are simply not acceptable."

The GRA had printed posters in conjunction with the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors informing members of the date, time and location of protest meetings relating to plans for the Garda reserve force.

The posters have been hung in Munster stations with details of a meeting in the Rochestown Park Hotel, Cork, on February 27th.

Representatives from the GRA and the AGSI met a delegation of senior Garda management at Garda Headquarters yesterday. Mr Stone said the associations were reminded of "an internal Garda rule from the 1970s" which states permission is required to hang posters in stations.

A circular to that effect was sent by fax yesterday to Garda stations by Assistant Commissioner Catherine Clancy.