Sir - I refer to your "Drapier" column, and in particular your editions of January 27th and February 3rd.
For some time now "Drapier" has conducted a campaign against gardai, and in particular the Garda Representative Association. He, along with some other minor elements of the media, obviously knows little of the facts surrounding the so called Garda "dispute" - or at least one would hope that this is the position. If it is not, it makes such comments even more questionable.
Drapier (February 3rd) thinks it "a monstrous outrage and a waste of public time, money and energy that the Government and the Oireachtas should have to sort out a dispute between the warring Garda Representative factions".
The membership of the Garda Representative Association could not agree more. But not, of course, with the reasoning behind his comments. The idea that any employer can interfere with or alter the structures of an employees' association or trades union must be repugnant to all fair minded observers. When, as in this instance, the employer is the State and the employees are policemen and women, it is indeed a "monstrous outrage".
Are "Drapier's" comments motivated by his views of An Garda Siochana? Does he view this as a Government opportunity "to shake them up", as he states? On January 27th, he referred to "the comments of P.J. Stone of the Garda Representative Association, who attacked the Minister and the Government for failing to tackle crime." He continued: "One way or the other, P.J. Stone's intervention will most certainly bring forward the Minister's promised legislation".
Is it now the position that if staff representatives openly express honestly held views on behalf of their membership (with huge public support), they will be "shaken up"? Has proposed legislation got more to do with silencing public comment than with fake concern for the so called Garda dispute?
One must look at the facts. The scenes at the 1994 GRA conference in Galway were disgraceful. However, "Drapier's" comments comparing Gardai to "Bosnian Serbs" shows a distinct lack of understanding of the horror and suffering endured there.
The GRA addressed this issue, and none of those who brought disgrace on the force are any longer members of the GRA. A minority of gardai chose to support those "protesters" and stopped their subscriptions to the GRA, as is their right to do. Many of those gardai have now rejoined the GRA.
In the meantime, small sections of the media pandered to and promoted the leaders of this breakaway group. Now, despite long standing and continued open door offers of the GRA to talk to any disaffected members it appears that the Minister Government and Oireachtas will "waste public time, money and energy" in an attempt to change their structures.
Gardai are not, as "Drapier" states, "impervious to change". The GRA, on a continual basis, changes its policies and constitution in accordance with the wishes of the majority of its members. The path lauded by the unnamed "Drapier" is a dangerous one. One wonders if such "outside direction" would be acceptable within the political party of which he is a member.
Gardai fully understand and accept their responsibilities to government and the public. However, as employees they deserve the right to self determination of their representative structures i.e., the same right as is afforded to all citizens of this country under the Constitution. Any deviation from this principle would be indeed, to quote "Drapier, a genuine and unedifying scandal. - Yours, etc.,
President,
Garda Representative
Association.
Phibsboro Tower,
Dublin 7.