Garda relations sour as Ahern snubs meeting

RELATIONS between the country’s 11,600 rank and file gardaí and the Government have soured considerably after the Justice Minister refused to attend their annual conference.

Minister Dermot Ahern had been due to address the Garda Representative Association’s (GRA) conference in Limerick.

However, at the 11th hour officials in his department informed GRA bosses that he wouldn’t be attending because he didn’t like the contents of a speech which was to be given by GRA president Michael O’Boyce.