Split in Garda as Agsi and superintendents say confidence in Drew Harris not an issue for them

A split has emerged in An Garda Síochána over attitudes towards Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, with some management ranks in the force now saying they have never felt the need to discuss whether they have confidence in the commissioner.

The Association of the Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) and the Association of Garda Superintendents (AGS) have, for the first time, both said the issue of having no confidence in Mr Harris had never arisen within their associations.

Those views are in contrast with the leadership of the Garda Representative Association (GRA), which has decided to put a ballot of no confidence in Mr Harris to its members, numbering about 11,000 rank and file gardaí in a near 14,000-strong force.

This week Mr Harris said even if the GRA membership voted no confidence in him, he would finish his term. He has two more years to run after his original five-year contract was extended by two years and said “whatever the vote is” he would not be leaving his job. Mr Harris has the support of Government, with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar saying he would not be removed if the motion of no confidence in him was passed.

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In reply to queries from The Irish Times, both AGSI and AGS said the issue of their associations having no confidence in Mr Harris had never arisen, though neither made any comment on the GRA or its motion of no confidence. The GRA declined to comment. However, The Irish Times understands ballot papers, for the vote of no confidence, were being distributed to GRA members on Thursday.

The superintendents’ association said the issue of it having confidence in Mr Harris had “never been discussed”. AGSI expressed a similar view, with its general secretary Antoinette Cunningham saying the “matter of confidence in the Garda Commissioner is not something that AGSI has ever discussed” adding it “simply has not been an issue for our association”.

“We continue to work collaboratively with the Commissioner and Garda management on the Garda reform agenda and while we have issues around the operating policing model, recruitment and retention and some of the new systems being implemented, we are currently in a consultation process with management on these issues,” she said.

AGSI “welcomed” the decision to return to the pre-pandemic rosters as it would “provide the certainty and predictability that members need in their working and private lives”, which had been absent under the emergency Covid-19 rosters of the past three years.

In reply to queries, Garda Headquarters, Phoenix Park, Dublin, said Mr Harris “remains of the view that the GRA’s forthcoming ballot is extraordinary and unnecessary”. It pointed out Mr Harris had recently met the GRA and had set out the steps he was taking to address many of its concerns, including the recruitment of new gardaí to stem falling Garda numbers.

The national executive of the GRA decided last month to ballot its membership on a motion of no confidence in Mr Harris. That move was seen as a response to Mr Harris announcing contingency rosters put in place for the pandemic, which have proven very popular, would end on November 6th. At that point, he said the Garda force would revert to pre-pandemic rosters.