Clueless? Shatter
Responding to the vote of no confidence in the Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter by the Garda Representative Association (GRA), Sinn Féin Justice spokesperson Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has said it is now clear the the crisis in the gardaí is “growing by the day”.
Deputy Mac Lochlainn said: ”It is clear the dramatic cuts to garda numbers, garda vehicles, the closure of 140 garda stations and now the threat of further cuts to their wages has brought morale in the force to its lowest ever levels. The crisis is growing by the day.
“The decision by the GRA to pass a vote of no confidence in the Minister must be a final wake up call that to continue with the failed policies of the previous Fianna Fáil government and to implement drastic cuts to the policing budget, is no longer sustainable.
“The GRA spoke out against and confronted the previous Fianna Fáil Minister of Justice, Dermot Ahern and it is clear that Minister Alan Shatter learned nothing from that episode.
“I am calling on the Minister to join the Garda Commissioner in urgent talks with both the GRA and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) who represent the overwhelming majority of the 13,400 gardaí across the state, to bring a resolution to this ongoing crisis.”
At a meeting of the Central Executive Committee of the Garda Representative Association (GRA) on Thursday 14th February 2013 the following motions were proposed and adopted:
“The GRA has no confidence in the Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence Alan Shatter.
“The GRA urgently requests the Garda Commissioner outlines to his Force whether he believes any reduction in Garda pay will have a negative effect on policing?
“The GRA urgently requests the Garda Commissioner to publicly addresses the negative effect to Garda morale resulting from speculative proposals to cut Garda pay and other proposed changes to working conditions.
“The GRA is convinced that the Garda Commissioner is unaware of the impact of pay cuts and lack of resources on his workforce, and we seek an urgent meeting to give him a first-hand account of members’ difficulties in all Garda Divisions.”
Within hours the Garda Commissioner promised to meet the GRA.