This footage was filmed and produced 14 September 2023.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has reiterated that Government has “full confidence” in Commissioner Drew Harris after the Garda Representative Association overwhelmingly voted against his leadership on Wednesday.

His comments come after almost 99% of gardai who voted in the ballot organised by the GRA expressed no confidence in the force’s most senior officer.

The unprecedented vote stemmed from discontent within the force, mostly around the commissioner’s plan to return to a pre-pandemic roster from November 6.

Speaking to reporters in Foynes, Co Limerick, Mr Varadkar said there were issues within An Garda Siochana to be addressed but added that the non-binding GRA ballot was “not the way to solve industrial-relations disputes”.

He said the gardai should engage with the Workplace Relations Commission on the matter.

Announcing the result of the ballot on Wednesday, GRA General Secretary Ronan Slevin claimed Minister for Justice Helen McEntee was refusing to engage with the association and had not held a meeting with the representative body since she came back to post in June following maternity leave – apart from a conversation at a passing out parade at Templemore College.

He said Simon Harris, who stood in as justice minister in Ms McEntee’s absence, had met GRA representatives in February and April.

Asked by reporters on Thursday if it was acceptable that Ms McEntee had not engaged with the GRA, Mr Varadkar said: “I have to check on that. You know, all ministers meet with representative bodies all the time. I’m sure she has met them, I’ll double check on that.”