The president of the Garda Representative Association was reflecting a build-up of "frustration" among members of the force in a speech which led Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern to cancel his address to the annual conference, the body’s general secretary said.
PJ Stone was defending remarks in a speech due to be delivered by GRA president Michael O’Boyce at the organisation’s conference in Limerick last night.
In the script of his address, Mr O’Boyce claimed the Government had been “corrupted” and that Fianna Fáil had been “bought” by developers and bankers. The incoming president of the GRA, Damien McCarthy, said today he had "no difficulty" supporting his predecessor's comments.
The GRA president decided not to deliver the speech because the Minister was not present to defend the allegations.
Speaking today, Mr Stone said he believed calls for Mr O’Boyce’s resignation were unfair because they confused his role as a representative of members of An Garda Síochána and his role as a member of the force.
“If we had a proper structure, if issues were resolved, if we had an industrial relations mechanism which we could have confidence and trust in, it probably wouldn’t arise. But what you are seeing here is a build-up of frustration,” Mr Stone said.
Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Pat Kenny programme he said: "You are seeing anger and you are seeing disillusionment. Mr O'Boyce was merely reiterating the views of members of the Garda Síochána and he was doing it in his representative role.
“I think we should not confuse that with his function and role as a member of the Garda Síochána. Michael O’Boyce holds the respect of the people whom he serves in Donegal. They have absolutely great time for him as an independent member of the Garda Síochána and I think it’s wrong to cross over into his role as a representative.”
He said it was “grossly unfair” that representatives should be “pilloried for effectively representing and voicing views of members of the Garda Siochana who are not entitled to voice them themselves”.
Incoming president of the GRA, Damien McCarthy, said it was “unfortunate and disappointing” the Minister had not shown up at the conference.
“I have no difficulty in supporting the sentiments expressed by the president of the association,” Mr McCarthy said today at the closing session of the conference.
Fianna Fáil backbench TD Niall Collins said Mr O’Boyce should resign “or failing that he should be removed by the Garda Commissioner”.
“He has crossed the line and entered into the political arena and he has clearly reached a fundamental condition of his employment as a member of An Garda Síochána," he said.
“I mean, for me to hear a member of An Garda Síochána accuse a sovereign government of robbery, corruption and treason, and this coming from a member of An Garda Síochána who are the agents of the State to investigate and prosecute these types of crimes, it’s just clearly not sustainable.”
A number of senators criticised Mr O’Boyce’s comments. Feargal Quinn described them as “not acceptable”, David Norris said they were “highly dangerous” and Dan Boyle of the Greens described the remarks as “treacherous”.
Speaking last night, Mr Ahern said the Garda conference was not like a teachers’ or a nurses’ conference.
“These are the custodians of the laws. I mean, if this was to happen in the Army, it would be regarded as mutiny.”