REACTION:MINISTER FOR Justice Dermot Ahern and Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy have told the Garda Representative Association to stay away from political debate following the association's attack on Mr Ahern, the Government and Fianna Fáil.
Mr Ahern decided not to attend the GRA’s annual conference in Limerick where he was due to address delegates yesterday.
His officials told the GRA he was withdrawing because of the tone of a speech, given to Mr Ahern in advance, by association president Michael O’Boyce that was to be addressed to Mr Ahern.
A number of Department of Justice officials who had already arrived at the conference returned to Dublin.
In a statement last night, Mr Ahern said while pay cuts had been difficult for gardaí and other public servants, the entire country was experiencing financial hardship. He had been “extremely disappointed and dismayed” by Mr O’Boyce’s planned remarks.
“These amount to an unprecedented political intervention by a Garda representative and have no place in a modern democracy. They besmirch the long-held excellent reputation that An Garda Síochána has earned for serving the people and institutions of this State without fear or favour. No democrat could tolerate such political interventions by any member of a police force.”
He refuted Mr O’Boyce’s allegations and was confident the views would not be endorsed by the majority of rank-and-file members. “The force is ill-served by such political interventions,” he added.
Under Garda rules the force must remain politically neutral. The commissioner said the many thousands of men and women who had served in the Garda had done so with “impartiality, with respect and above all with operational independence.
“I would urge anybody who wishes to comment otherwise to desist from such comment. The political arena is not a matter for An Garda Síochána.”
He said any possibility of disciplinary action against any GRA members over the controversy was “a matter for consideration”.
Many conference delegates clapped when GRA general secretary PJ Stone informed them Mr Ahern would not be attending.
Mr Stone asked the delegates to give Mr O’Boyce a standing ovation for the “courageous” address he had planned to deliver. After sustained applause and cheering from delegates, Mr O’Boyce told them he was “extremely disappointed and angry” that Mr Ahern had not attended.