Sinn Féin housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin has spoken with the head of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (Agsi) over a mocked up image he posted depicting gardaí overseeing an eviction.
The image, an artwork by the visual artist Mála Spíosraí, also known as Spicebag, is a reworked painting by renowned Cork artist Daniel MacDonald (1821-1853) of an eviction taking place during the Famine.
The Sinn Féin TD posted it on Twitter with the caption: “No words needed”. The post drew widespread criticism from gardaí and politicians.
On Saturday, Agsi general secretary Antoinette Cunningham described Mr Ó Broin’s tweet as “deeply offensive and wholly inappropriate” from an elected representative.
Commenting on Twitter, she said it was “insultingly wrong” to portray Garda colleagues like this.#
[ Artist behind Garda eviction image believes ‘people are missing the point’Opens in new window ]
On Monday afternoon, as Agsi members prepared to meet for their Annual General Conference, Mr Ó Broin said he has a “very positive” conversation with Ms Cunningham in which he “stressed it was not my intention to offend, criticise or drag An Garda Síochána into a political controversy.
“My intention was solely to highlight the issue of homelessness/evictions & criticise Govt policy,” he tweeted.
Ms Cunningham welcomed Mr Ó Broin’s “important” clarity and said she would be communicating it to Agsi members.
Discussion of the posting of the image by a sitting TD is likely to dominate much of the three-day conference. Minister for Justice Simon Harris is expected to address the matter in his speech to Agsi delegates on Monday evening.
It is understood he intends to “strongly criticise Sinn Féin” over the controversy.
Spicebag, from Bray, Co Wicklow, told The Irish Times he had completed the image in 2021, having been inspired by an eviction in Dublin’s north inner city in Dublin in 2018, where masked gardaí were visible observing the eviction taking place.
He reissued the image in recent days, as the Government’s moratorium on no-fault evictions lapsed on Saturday.
Other issues to be addressed at the Agsi conference in Galway include the new roster system for gardaí which has caused clashes between garda representatives and Commissioner Drew Harris in recent weeks.
Ms Cunningham has accused Garda management of intransigence over the issue and of failing to adhere to the industrial relations process established for garda dispute resolution.
She said the mood of Agsi members is very low and is not being helped by what she said was Drew Harris’s refusal to engage internally on rosters.
Agsi is also to seek the formal withdrawal of the Directive on Gender Identity in the Workplace due to a lack of “consultation and awareness” on the issue. The directive concerns how people transitioning gender should be addressed by their preferred pronouns.
Agsi has raised concerns about comments from Drew Harris that gardaí could potentially face discipline for misgendering a person.
Ms Cunningham said Agsi is “acutely aware of the rights of people to transition and be supported in doing so by workplace colleagues”.
However, in the absence of “an awareness and education programme”, it is unfair of management to issue the directive in its current form, and “even more unfair is the threat of discipline hanging over us if we are misguided due to a lack of education”.
“There are a large number of people in the Garda organisation who are not aware of the rights and entitlements of people who want to Transition and how on a practical day basis they can be supported in the workplace,” she said.
Drew Harris is to address delegates on Tuesday.
