Mid-ranking gardai are demanding the right to strike, they've put the Justice Minister’s been put on notice at the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors annual conference in Carlow.

Suicide rates within the force and welfare issues are dominating the event.

But Charlie Flanagan has also heard demands for the AGSI to get union recognition and with it the right to strike, even in a restricted capacity.

Here are the 3 Billboards that Minister @CharlieFlanagan will walk past at #AGSI18 conference. Minister put on notice gardai want right to strike. Members may be balloted if no progress pic.twitter.com/VQpCDTAgHr

— Juliette Gash (@JulietteGash) March 26, 2018

AGSI President Antoinette Cunningham says they'll ballot their members for strike action if enough progress isn't made with the Minister,

 "So we will see how matters progress over the next few months, as I said earlier to the Minister for Justice, we will also write to the various oversight bodies. They too carry a great responsibility. If they are serious about the reform agenda in An Garda Siochana then they must address the very issues that affect the workers in the organisation.

So we will write to the oversight bodies and we will share their responses with our membership."

Up to 12 gardai have died by suicide since August, and mid-ranking gardai want action on the issue.

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors is gathering in Tullow, Co. Carlow, where Justice Minister Charlie Flanagain is due this evening.

Vice President of AGSI Paul Wallace says there needs to be more support for gardai,

"We have a 24 over 7 counselling service but it needs to be expanded, it needs to be resourced. We're also looking for the help from a clinical psychologist, somebody who'll be there that our members can go to."