Ninety-six gardaí currently suspended from the force, new figures show

The figure is down from 115 in 2022, with no fresh suspensions this year, new figures show.

These figures were provided by Garda Headquarters as the Garda Representative Association (GRA) annual conference gets underway in Westport, Co Mayo.

The association, which represents over 10,000 garda members, has accused Garda Commissioner Drew Harris of being overzealous in the application of the disciplinary regulations.

It comes after a garda stationed in the midlands was investigated and suspended for three years after he provided a pensioner with an unclaimed bicycle during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The “deeply private” detective is a member of the GRA but was not present last night when delegates gathered for the event.

The conference this week has been overshadowed by the decision of Justice Minister Helen McEntee to not attend following the public snub of Garda Commissioner Drew Harris by the GRA.

That refusal to invite the commissioner came in the wake of the association’s unprecedented vote of no confidence in Mr Harris last year.

The vote of no confidence was passed by 98.7pc in favour to 1.3pc against.

Despite his absence in Co Mayo, a garda spokesperson outlined some “key points” that the Garda Commissioner would have raised at the conference. The garda spokesperson said the resignation rate in An Garda Siochána is one per cent, while statistics provided by Garda HQ show the international average is 10 per cent.

There have also been 120 extensions of service granted by garda management in last two years and there are currently the highest number of sergeants and inspectors appointed by garda senior management in the history of the organisation.

Garda HQ pointed to an independent Policing Authority report based on interviews with gardaí, which found, “In the main, the general view was not one of concern that the Garda Síochána is facing a retention ‘crisis’ or an ‘exodus’ of good people”.

It comes as GRA president Brenan O’Connor today is expected to tell delegates that deteriorating morale is a huge issue among rank-and file gardaí whom, he says, feel abandoned and exposed.

Mr O’Connor will say there is an atmosphere of fear and an overwhelming disconnect between frontline gardaí and senior management.

He will say that garda numbers remain dangerously below strength and that issues surrounding recruitment and retention continue to place extra workload, stress and pressure on their members.

He will tell delegates that not all the attacks on rank-and-file gardaí have been from external sources, with overzealous oversight and the use of internal discipline as a training tool, making many of members second guess their policing methods.