GRA to discuss ‘specific actions’ over working conditions ahead of Trump Ireland visit Sun, 06 Sep, 2026 – 15:00Cormac O’Keeffe
The threat of industrial action by frontline gardaí ahead of US president Donald Trump’s visit to Ireland next weekend has been averted.
But an emergency meeting of the governing body of the Garda Representative Association (GRA) will be held the following week in a bid to agree on actions targeting “specific events”.
Following two days of intense meetings of the GRA Central Executive Committee (CEC) last Wednesday and Thursday, national representatives are now consulting with divisional representatives around the country.
They are gathering their views on the cancellation of garda leave and rest breaks in order to police EU Presidency events and the US visit.
The GRA, which has around 11,740 members, is also seeking legal advice on some of the options that have been put forward.
The matter has reached a crisis point within the GRA after the association’s Dublin Regional Committee held a lengthy closed-door meeting last Monday.
It followed the designation by Garda HQ of the days leading up to and during Mr Trump’s visit on September 12 and 13 as an “extraordinary event”.
These events involve the cancellation of leave, extended working hours and restrictions, or cancellation, of rest breaks.
The latest designation follows declarations of “extraordinary events” for previous EU Presidency events, with more events to come in the months ahead.
One of the issues for gardaí regarding the US visit is the requirement for gardaí in Dublin to find their own accommodation in Co Clare when Mr Trump leaves the capital and travels to his golf club in Doonbeg, where the Irish Open finishes on Sunday.
As reported in the Irish Examiner, the Dublin committee called on the CEC to discuss “numerous blatant breaches” of working time legislation and what it said was the “non-implementation” of subsistence and travel arrangements.
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‘Subsistence’ relates to tax-free allowances for food, drink and accommodation expenses when covering events away from a garda’s permanent station.
One source said: “The main issue with extraordinary events is the breaches of rest periods and cancelling of rest days ad nauseam.”
The CEC held meetings last Wednesday and Thursday, attended by the Dublin Regional Committee as well as the president, vice-president, deputy general secretary, assistant general secretary and industrial relations officer. The general secretary was out of the country.
It is understood the meetings involved a “robust” exchange of views, but calls to carry out some kind of actions leading up to Mr Trump’s visit were set aside, pending a full meeting in two weeks’ time.
The Irish Examiner understands that legal advice has been sought on some of the options put forward.
National representatives are to “immediately consult” with their divisional representatives and take their views back to the CEC next week, where a “definitive national stance” is to be agreed.
It is thought that events are to be identified that will be the target of specific “actions”. Exactly what type of actions would be taken is not yet clear.
Gardaí raise concerns over working hours and accommodation
GRA sources say the general feeling is that “members’ goodwill is consistently being taken advantage of” by Garda management, who, they claim, continue to breach national agreements on working hours and breaks.
Sources have said that recent arrangements for EU policing events were a “shambles”, with members being regularly directed to work 15- to 16-hour tours, or shifts.
The sources said there was “serious concern” regarding accommodation arrangements and operational orders for members during the Trump visit and Irish Open.
They said there is still no accommodation in Clare for numerous members and feared the situation could deteriorate in the coming days.
Garda management says pressure is ‘out of their control’
Meanwhile, Garda management sources said they were “trying to limit” the number of extraordinary events but that the situation was “out of their control”, with the Trump visit coming on top of the EU Presidency events.
They said they appreciated “the pressure on gardaí” but that the organisation had to do its job and police these State events.
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Trump in Doonbeg: West Clare village prepares for Irish Open, protests and 75,000 visitors
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