THE FIRST round table talks in more than a year between the groups involved in the internal Garda representative dispute are expected to take place before the end of this month.
A invitation from the Garda Representative Association to leaders of some 3,500 gardai who broke away from the association is expected to be favourably received, Garda sources say.
Agreement between the sides in the dispute, which has defied all previous efforts by Garda management and the Department of Justice, now seems possible, according to the sources. If the talks succeed, the fractured association could be reunited for the first time in almost three years.
However, gardai were adamant that reunification will succeed only if the representatives have an opportunity to renegotiate the pay and pension agreements which led to the fracturing of the GRA in the first instance.
An opportunity for new negotiations on pay and conditions arises under the terms of the current review of the force by the Strategic Management Initiative group.
The SMI steering committee is due to report to the Government at the start of next month, and it is expected it will recommend that negotiations take place with Garda representatives about pay and conditions as part of the process of introducing new working conditions.
Also, if the gardai can achieve an agreement themselves, this will pre empt the Government's proposed legislation for an entirely new representative association for the rank of garda, which is due to come before the Dail next month.
Under the terms of the legislation, the Minister for Justice Mrs Owen, would have the power to dissolve the Garda representative body. It is known there is growing concern within the ranks that the legislation could make the dispute even more difficult to resolve.
The GRA's president, Mr John Healy, wrote to the president of the breakaway Garda Federation, Mr Frank Gunn, on Friday. His proposal for talks with a five member delegation from the GRA will be discussed today by the Garda Federation National Council, and it is expected to be accepted.
An invitation to the leaders of four dissident rural Garda divisions to attend the talks is also expected to be accepted.
The last time the sides met was on October 5th, 1995, when talks were convened under the former chairman of the Labour Court, Mr John Horgan. However, those talks broke up after one day when the meeting was unable even to agree an agenda.
At the time of the last talks the GRA was blamed for stalling the process and for being unwilling to compromise on any detail.
At its annual conference last year, the then general secretary, Mr John Ferry, said it was up to the dissident members to see "the error of their ways". Mr Ferry resigned for health and family reasons last week after several Garda divisions still loyal to the GRA signed motions of no confidence in his leadership.