Gardaí are to press for a new adequately-funded Government initiative to tackle road deaths that would see members of the force working more closely with government departments and local authorities.
Delegates at this week's annual conference of the Garda Representative Association (GRA) in Westport, Co Mayo, will also be asked to vote on motions expressing concern at the continuing loss of life on the roads.
The development comes as the number of drivers being detected drinking and driving shows no signs of a fall-off despite sustained publicity about the Garda's new powers to stop any motorist for a random breath test.
The conference will also debate the condition of Garda stations throughout the country. The GRA and Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) have long complained that the rate of refurbishment of existing stations and construction of new ones is far too slow.
The GRA's central executive has tabled a motion seeking the removal of the Office of Public Works from any role in the Garda building programme. Rank-and-file gardaí have long argued that the OPW's involvement represents an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy.
At the GRA's conference in Galway last year, the implementation of the Garda Reserve dominated the agenda. However, since then the part-time force has been introduced despite the GRA's and AGSI's opposition.
However, a number of motions to be put to conference during its first full-day session tomorrow suggest many members are unhappy at the association's handling last year of the campaign of opposition to the reserve.
Representatives from Clare want a debate about how the campaign was run while delegates from other divisions want a memorandum of understanding which would allow those speaking on behalf of the association to do so without fear of "subsequent sanction, reprisal or discipline".
This follows the public rebuking last year of GRA president John Egan by both the Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy and Minister for Justice Michael McDowell.
The rebuke came after a suggestion by Mr Egan that gardaí should target marginal seat constituencies in the forthcoming election by casting their vote for opposition candidates and urging their friends and families to do the same.
Mr McDowell, who in a break with tradition has not been invited to address delegates this year, warned the GRA it had no business becoming involved in politics. Mr Conroy said all members had taken an oath to be apolitical and he said he would sanction any garda who broke this oath. Mr Conroy and Mr Egan will address delegates tomorrow.
Another motion calls for the GRA to act independently of all other Garda groups in future industrial relations campaigns.
