The Justice Minister should have attended the Garda Representative Association annual conference instead of 'scolding' members over Commissioner Drew Harris, a journalist has said.
Neither Minister Helen McEntee nor Commissioner Harris are attending the GRA conference in Co Mayo which got underway today.
Minister McEntee previously told Newstalk of her “disappointment” that Commissioner Harris was not invited.
Crime journalist Paul Williams told The Hard Shoulder their absence is 'hugely significant'.
"The public are very, very aware of what's been going on," he said.
"Unprecedented move number one was last September when the vast majority of the 10,000 rank-and-file members of An Garda Síochána... said they didn't have any confidence in [Drew Harris] any longer.
"[The vote] was an incredibly historic and very worrying development to take place in the history of An Garda Síochána or any police force for that matter".
'Mediator'
Mr Williams said Gardaí "doubled down" on the issue when they said they didn't want Commissioner Harris at their conference.
"The strange development was towards the end of last week when Helen McEntee - who had been invited months ago - decided that she's going to come out in solidarity with Drew Harris and say, 'I'm not going to attend your conference either, even though I'm not taking sides'," he said.
"The alternative view of that would be [Minister] McEntee could have gone there to demonstrate her undoubted skills as a mediator and a problem solver.
"She could get up and say, 'By the way I don't support you guys - this is outrageous what you've said about Drew Harris but let me try and be the mediator'.
"She could actually have won herself huge kudos here if she had decided to go and try and bridge that gap".
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris speaking to the media at Garda HQ in Dublin's Phoenix Park, 23-11-23. Image: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ieMr Williams said Minister McEntee has "scolded" the GRA over their treatment of Commissioner Harris.
"The Minister scolded them like the headmistress saying, 'You've been naughty boys and girls in the GRA, I'm going to put you on the bold step because you've been bullying poor Drew Harris'," he said.
"Instead of going in and sitting down, like a headmistress would, being them all into the assembly hall and crack heads together and say, 'I'm here, I'm not leaving here until you guys all kiss and make up and let's get back to the job your supposed to be doing'."
'Unprecedented'
Mr Williams said he believes there is an "existential fear" in the Gardaí.
"If [Commissioner Harris] walked out the door at the moment - An Garda Sícohána is already in a crisis - it would be in a complete state of armageddon almost," he said.
"At the moment because of another anomaly... none of the senior Gardaí who are qualified will take the job of Deputy Commissioner.
"The job has to be held by an Irish citizen and [that person] is in charge of national security - nobody wants that job, which is again unprecedented and historic.
"The person who takes that job will then automatically became the next Commissioner in about a year's time when Drew Harris leaves".
Mr Williams said the whole system is "in a complete and utter hock".
"We now have a situation where we saw in the riots in Dublin before Christmas Guards were prepared to get beaten up rather than take on the bad guys," he said.
He added that all this is happening as Gardaí face an "unprecedented level of demoralisation and disillusionment".
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