Garda Commissioner and Minister for Justice to address AGSI in Mayo

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors gather in Westport today, Monday, for their 46th annual delegate conference. 

The forty-sixth annual delegate conference of AGSI takes place this week as recruitment, transformation, and Garda oversight dominate. 

At the top of the agenda for the 170 delegates, who represent 31 AGSI branches, will be the recruitment and retention crisis. Alongside this will be the ongoing transformation challenges, and what AGSI described as ‘never-ending and over-burdensome oversight’.  

Additionally, the AGSI will also call for a review of the Garda suspension policy with a view to having an independent oversight mechanism put in place. 

The AGSI said that the length of time that investigations are taking is unacceptable and the level of communication to suspended members dismal. 

President of the AGSI, Paul Curran, said the call’s motivation is to ‘give confidence to members that the suspension policy is fair, transparent, and accountable’. 

“We understand the need for a robust policy, but members must have the confidence that there are appropriate oversight mechanisms in place,” he added, 

Separately, delegates will hear more details about upcoming ballots on the proposed new Garda roster and the recently announced Public Service Pay Agreement 2024-2026. 

The AGSI described the mood among members as one of frustration as they seek faster decision-making on key issues and enhanced internal collaboration and communication. 

Deputy General Secretary, Ronan Clogher, said there were very clear agenda items that required direct responses and hoped the Minister and the Garda Commissioner would ‘provide commitments or answers at conference’.

There are 23 motions on the programme over the next three days, ranging from pay and allowances, training, representation, uniform and equipment and organisational transformation to work practices and promotions which were submitted following AGM's in January.