Minister mulling 'next step' after GRA's no-confidence vote

Helen McEntee has pledged her confidence in Garda Commissioner Drew Harris. Picture: Damien Storan

Justice Minister Helen McEntee has pledged her confidence in the Garda Commissioner and says there needs to be discussion around the table as a “next step” after the Garda Representative Association’s vote of no confidence in him.

Ms McEntee also said her office has been in touch with the GRA since the result of the ballot of its members was announced on Wednesday.

A total of 9,013 voted no confidence in Commissioner Drew Harris, with 116 expressing confidence in him. The no vote represented 98.7% of the vote. 

The ballot marks the first time that a vote of confidence in the garda commissioner has been taken and is largely prompted by discontent within frontline officers about the introduction of a new roster from November 6.

Speaking at the reopening of the refurbished Rathcormac Garda Station in Co Cork on Thursday, Ms McEntee pledged her confidence in the Garda Commissioner.

“The only way you resolve it is by getting around a table," she said. "I know this is what the commissioner wants to do here and I believe that is what the GRA want to do here is to try to resolve this. Next step must be that people get around the table, that people try to resolve this.

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and Justice Minister Helen McEntee officially reopen Rathcormac Garda Station. Picture: Andy Gibson.

“This mainly relates to an issue around rosters and what we all see when a dispute like this arises is that there are ways and means to resolve this kind of scenario. There are internal mechanisms, be it through a mediator, be it through a conciliation process within An Garda Síochána, or else we have obviously the State mechanisms; the WRC that has been there for decades and I think that is where most organisations, be it An Garda Síochána, be it education or health, will resolve these matters.” 

Earlier on Thursday, in Limerick, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar also backed Commissioner Harris, saying that gardaí should engage with the Workplace Relations Commission on the matter.

“I can understand why they want to keep the old roster; it’s very family-friendly, involves working maybe 150 days a year, albeit very long days," he said.

“I also understand why the Garda Commissioner wants to go back to the old agreed roster because that meant the guards were around more often when we needed them. That’s in the interest of the public too.

“But there’s always room for compromise and this isn’t the way you come to a compromise.” 

Commissioner Harris was also in Rathcormac on Thursday. He ruled out any interest in leaving An Garda Síochána and seeking to lead the Police Service of Northern Ireland following the recent resignation of Chief Constable Simon Byrne.

He said he recognises that rank and file gardaí are not happy. 

However, he said: “A huge amount of work is being undertaken and is ongoing in respect of the issues that they raised but I would say to them and to the other associations that we are always open to conversation and negotiation.

We want to get to a new roster and we also want to resolve the other issues that they have raised.

He also said he had already proposed using the mechanism of the WRC. He said he is concerned about officers leaving An Garda Síochána but said just 1% left the organisation in 2022. Close to 100 have resigned this year to date.