GRA's about-turn on targeting politicians does Minister for Justice no favours John Egan's GRA presidency has got off to a difficult start, writes Conor Lally.
The decision by the Garda Representative Association to back down on a plan to target Government TDs in marginal constituencies has left it red-faced.
But it has not aided the efforts of Minister for Justice Michael McDowell to introduce the part-time force in the face of opposition from full-time members.
The plan to run an election campaign against five deputies - three from the Progressive Democrats and two from Fianna Fáil - emerged at the GRA's annual conference in Galway on Monday night. When Mr McDowell and Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy arrived at the conference on Tuesday both were angry at newspaper reports of the plans.
Mr McDowell warned them that they had no place in politics.
Mr Conroy was perhaps more annoyed than at any other time since assuming his position three years ago. He reminded the GRA leadership that when every garda joined the force he or she swore to be apolitical.
Late on Tuesday Mr Conroy is understood to have had a private informal meeting with GRA incoming president John Egan and its general secretary PJ Stone. Yesterday Mr Stone was in fence-mending mode, saying the GRA had never had a policy of involvement in election campaigns. He apologised if the association had given the impression this policy had changed.
It was a bad start to Mr Egan's presidency as it was he who had told reporters about the election policy. Privately, delegates at the conference said Mr Egan should not have presented his personal views as GRA policy. But they also said there had been overwhelming opposition to the reserves at the conference.
Delegates supported the GRA's long-term plan of non-co-operation. Many believe the reserve force will not work.
Mr McDowell meets a GRA delegation and one from the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (the AGSI) for talks on the reserve next week.
Both organisations have now been mandated by their members - the AGSI held its annual conference three weeks ago - to pursue a policy of non-co-operation and it is difficult to see what progress can be made to break the deadlock.
With adverts seeking applicants for the reserves only due to appear in the media in the next three weeks, Mr McDowell's plan of having 900 reservists working by September looks ambitious.
He was in bullish form in Galway on Tuesday, assuring the media the reserve force would definitely go ahead.