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A NEW PRESIDENT and Vice President of the Garda Representatives Association (GRA) were elected to their positions today during a controversial online delegates annual meeting.
Frank Thornton and Brendan O’Connor were appointed to their respective roles this afternoon. Both remained unopposed.
The GRA, which represents 12,500 rank-and-file members of the force, generally elects its executive at an annual meeting. However, the pandemic meant that the conference had to be held online for the first time in its history.
Several motions were passed during the conference, with the safety of the young members being a topic of discussion for much of the event.
However, the organization’s internal difficulties were also high on the agenda with a frank speech from outgoing President Jim Mulligan.
He expressed concern about some aspects of the GRA and told delegates that he had reported certain matters to Justice Minister Helen McEntee, who in turn asked Commissioner Drew Harris to investigate.
Controversy
Internal unrest in the days leading up to today’s conference meant that many members did not attend in protest. Several informed sources described the holding of the conference as “a sham”.
Correspondence seen by this publication yesterday detailed how some felt the delegates meeting was “a sham” forced to ditch outgoing members of the executive.
Mulligan, in his speech near the beginning of the conference, himself called the conference a “sham.”
He added that he believed the main reason for the conference to go ahead was to ensure that Secretary General Pat Ennis was removed from office.
In February this year, it emerged that Ennis’s contract would not be renewed. He had served as general secretary for more than three years and received 61% of the vote to remain. However, under GRA rules, he needed more than 66% to keep his job.
“In my opinion, Pat Ennis is An Garda Síochána’s labor relations Ronaldo, but now we are going to take him off the pitch,” he said.
The entire conference was held online and all registered delegates were able to use a chat feature to request to speak or present members for the election.
However, members also used this chat feature to express their frustration with the outgoing president over his tenure.
New Vice President Brendan O’Connor said he and his GRA colleagues had become disillusioned with the association and said they often found it difficult to distinguish between the message coming from the GRA and that of management.
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He said it is his job to help “push the GRA forward” out of these difficult times.
Security concerns
Speaking today shortly after being elected GRA president, Thornton focused less on his election and more on one of the conference topics. He said the younger Gardaí have significant training and supervision needs.
Thornton said: “About a third of the frontline Gardaí have been recruited in the last six years and still have relatively little experience. There are also gardaí working on the front line who have not completed their training.
“We are seeing an increase in violence against the Gardai and record levels of arms seizures. More experienced Gardai can sometimes identify threats that younger members may not see, making them vulnerable to serious injury. “
Thornton added that the possible effects on the mental health of members of the police should be taken more seriously.
A Garda poll last month showed that many members believe there is a stigma attached to seeking mental and emotional support.
“This is very concerning, especially considering that the Gardaí sometimes witness gruesome and harrowing scenes that can be traumatic. Identifying the threat and preparing is something that comes with experience, so, again, new recruits may be at greater risk, ”he added.
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