THE PRESIDENT of the Garda’s biggest representative body has made an unprecedented attack on the Government, saying it had been “corrupted” and that Fianna Fáil had been “bought” by developers and bankers.
Michael O’Boyce, the president of the Garda Representative Association (GRA), claimed the Government had mismanaged the wealth of the country for a decade and had allowed the country’s assets to be “plundered and robbed” by bankers and property speculators.
“You did this because bankers and speculators have bought your party and in return you have sacrificed the greater good and prosperity of the Irish nation for the benefit of the few. Truly, a Government of national sabotage.”
Mr O’Boyce’s remarks were included in an address to be delivered to Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern at the GRA’s annual delegate conference in Limerick city yesterday.
However, Mr Ahern decided not to attend the conference when he read the address, supplied to him in advance, just before he was about to leave Dublin for Limerick yesterday afternoon.
Mr O’Boyce then decided not to deliver the speech because Mr Ahern was not present to defend himself against the allegations.
The address had been distributed to journalists at the conference before the dispute emerged.
The speech claimed people like Seán FitzPatrick and Michael Fingleton had been held up by the Government as business leaders but were “nothing more than gombeen men”.
“[Gardaí] are angry at the arrogance of a Government corrupted by years of power [that] has lost touch with the reality of life on a modest salary; if they ever knew at all. A Government whose only agenda is to protect the economic traitors.”
The Government had become a national assets “mismanagement” agency, he said.
In the remarks intended for delivery to Mr Ahern, Mr O’Boyce said the “vitriolic” attack on the public sector in the form of recent pay cuts and levies “most definitely verged on incitement to hatred” of public sector workers by those in the private sector.
Gardaí were angry about being lectured by the Government about the need to be patriotic.
The Government was using the concept of patriotism “as they support a new aristocracy created in their own image”.
“This new aristocracy chooses whether to retain State pensions while still working as public representatives, using all means to spend vast resources on the few, while taking pay from the majority.
“This Government has created a new class system; one that does not value our service and dedication.”
Mr O’Boyce said the Garda recruitment moratorium was lowering the number of gardaí available for frontline duties.
Numbers in the force had fallen last year and would fall further in the current year.
Control over recruitment to the force should be taken away from the Government, which had “misused it as an election gimmick”.
During debate at the conference yesterday, many delegates said the Government had lost touch with the challenges faced by frontline gardaí.
A motion was passed “condemning” Mr Ahern for being out of touch.
Garda Thomas Keane, who is based in Ennis, Co Clare, said 160 cars in the force’s fleet were at least four years old, meaning many had to undergo significant regular repairs.
It defied logic that the force was spending €10,000 per year repairing vehicles when new cars could be bought for €20,000.
Garda Ray Wims, who is based in Carrick-on-Shannon, told delegates the main patrol car in Sligo town had been “grounded” because much-needed repairs had not been carried out.