Outgoing GRA president condemns 'militancy' in the association

Jim Mulligan, outgoing President of the Garda Representative Association, who hit out at "militancy" within the body's Central Executive Committee. Photo: Don MacMonagle

The largest garda staff association is embroiled in controversy after its outgoing president made a series of dramatic accusations regarding internal "militancy".

At the annual conference of the Garda Representative Association, Jim Mulligan told delegates he had brought his concerns to Justice Minister Helen McEntee who, he maintained, has asked Commissioner Drew Harris to look into the matter.

The allegations made by Mr Mulligan were challenged by other senior figures in the association, including the incoming Vice-President Brendan O’Connor and former president John Parker.

Mr Mulligan said he had met the commissioner and his senior team and outlined his concerns to them, but said he was unaware of what further action would be taken. The outgoing president said the GRA needs to be looked into before "it spins out of control".

He said the calling of the annual conference, which is being held online, was "a sham" and that it was being held in order to facilitate the so-called militants.

Reflecting deep divisions within the GRA's Central Executive Committee - the association's national steering body - Mr Mulligan hit out at "militancy" within the CEC.

He alleged that in recent months this militancy included:

• calls for industrial action at the height of a pandemic;
• unauthorised lobbying of Oireachtas members and departments in order to make the conference happen;
• refusal to commit to the rules and policies of the association by certain members of the executive;
• disregard for public health guidelines in recent months;
• bypassing of the GRA's legal framework, including tendering processes

“As president I can't stand over this behaviour and will not stand over it personally either,” Mr Mulligan said. “I have reported this to the Minister for Justice who has asked the commissioner to look into it. I met him and members of his senior team recently to make him aware of my concerns, concerns I had raised to CEC on several occasions.

“I'm unaware what further action may be taken, but I think this association needs to be looked into before it spins out of control.” 

He claimed the main reason for the conference was to secure the removal of general secretary Pat Ennis who he said was trying to implement governance and financial reforms.

“Pat Ennis in my mind is the Ronaldo of industrial relations of An Garda Síochána, but we are now taking him off the pitch,” he said.

In relation to the alleged lobbying of politicians and departments, Mr Mulligan said he didn’t know who lobbied who because those involved were “concealing” this information from him.

He said that what had gone on is “another sorry chapter” in the association’s history.

Donegal delegate, Garda Brendan O’Connor, who was today voted in unopposed as Vice-President, rejected the allegations of militancy within the CEC and said all the talk of divisions was being “overplayed”.

Congratulations to Brendan O’Connor, Donegal Division, who has been elected Vice President of the Garda Representative Association at today's GRA Annual Delegate Conference. pic.twitter.com/ooa4qhD1B4

— GRA (@gardarep) December 29, 2020

He said that the making of accusations seemed to be “the order of the day” but that he didn’t want to do the same.

But he insisted that the holding of the conference was “in accordance with the rules and constitution of the association” and said nobody would be allowed to manipulate those rules.

In his prepared speech for vice-president, he said the association had “lost some credibility” among members in recent years and needed to be “assertive and not afraid to stand up and be counted”.

He said: “Increasingly I find it hard to differentiate between the message coming from Garda headquarters or the Department of Justice and that from the GRA.

“Sometimes I think we sound more like management than management themselves. The comments today would probably back that up.” 

He added: “I am not a militant or a radical by any means.” 

Mr Parker, executive member from Cork North Division and former GRA president, accused Mr Mulligan of being “misleading” in saying there were calls for industrial action and claimed that the “majority of the executive” were opposed to what he was alleging in that regard.

Mr Parker said people who respected the rules of the association wanted the conference to go ahead.

He noted that the bulk of delegates (81) voted this morning for a virtual conference and only eight had voted against.

He said it was wrong for Mr Mulligan to use his speech to “put out a one-sided view”, without a right of reply.