Helen McEntee won't attend Garda conference after Commissioner snub

Justice Minister Helen McEntee is staying away from the conference of the biggest Garda representative body – after it snubbed Commissioner Drew Harris.

A spokesman for Ms McEntee confirmed last night she would not be attending next week’s annual delegate conference, or ADC, of the Garda Representative Association, made up of 11,000 members of the force.

The spokesman said: “The Minister for Justice has written to the GRA, to tell them that she is not in a position to attend their conference.”

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The spokesman gave no other details, but the decision comes in the wake of the GRA’s move not to invite Mr Harris to the conference, held in Westport, Co Mayo.

Sources said they had no doubt the minister’s decision was connected to that snub.

“It looks like she is standing by Drew,” one source said.

“It is a bit of a surprise.”

Justice minister Helen McEntee and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.

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

In September, some 98 per cent of respondents, more than 9,000 gardai, in a GRA vote ticked the box that they had no confidence in Mr Harris – something that the Commissioner said felt like a kick in the teeth.

A GRA spokesman was unavailable for comment last night.

But General Secretary Ronan Slevin told members of its ruling executive: “I have just received official correspondence from the Minister for Justice declining our invitation to our ADC next week.”

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