Government united on Garda reserve - McDowell

Minister for Justice Michael McDowell today insisted the Government is united behind the Garda reserve despite recent comments…

Minister for Justice Michael McDowell today insisted the Government is united behind the Garda reserve despite recent comments from a Fianna Fáil backbench TD.

Speaking on RTÉ radio this morning Mr McDowell said "the Government has made a decision and the Government is united on this. . . . The reserve is going to go ahead.

"I can well appreciate that indivual TDs in the Government will be subject to pressure from the lobbying efforts of the representative associations," he added.

His comments came after Cork North West TD Donal Moynihan had raised concerns about the force, saying it was a mistake that should not go ahead.

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The row between Mr McDowell and the Garda Representative Association (GRA) continued today over a trip by the Minister and the Garda Commissioner, Noel Conroy, to a volunteer policing conference in England.

According to the Minister, the general secretary of the GRA, P. J. Stone, had used language in relation to the commissioner that was "very insolent and disrespectful" and did the organisation "no credit whatsoever".

In yesterday's Irish TimesMr Stone had said the decision by Mr Conroy to travel to Britain last Friday with Mr McDowell on a "junket" in relation to the reserve force was an insult to gardaí.

Mr Stone had also said: "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."

The president of the GRA, Dermot O'Donnell, reacted to Mr McDowell's comments today by calling them "unfair and over the top".

Mr O'Donnell said: "If he was serious about discussing the issues with us he would have told us this [policing conference] was on and invited us to attend."