The Minister for Justice has said the Garda Representative Association should apologise to the people of Ireland for trying to politicise the force.

Dermot Ahern said there was cross-party agreement bar one that the GRA had crossed the line when they said the Government, Fianna Fáil and himself had been corrupted by years in power.

Mr Ahern was speaking at a graduation ceremony at the Garda College in Templemore, Co Tipperary.

He also said that as long as he was the Minister for Justice, the GRA would never become a trade union.

The Garda Commissioner said that he had called in GRA General Secretary PJ Stone and new GRA President Damien McCarthy to explain their actions.

Fachtna Murphy said he would discuss the issue with them at Garda headquarters tomorrow morning.

The Minister also announced a new garda recruitment campaign would begin at the end of the year.

He said he had intended to announce this at the GRA conference before he withdrew.

