McDowell’s garda plans are ‘nonsense’
Up to 90 civilian vacancies are already unfilled in An Garda Síochána because of the public service embargo. There are doubts as to whether the Government will actually hire all the clerical workers needed to fill an additional 219 administrative posts currently held by gardaí. Mr McDowell wants to free up those gardaí and put them back on the streets.
“There are 80-90 vacancies for civilians in the force, who have not been recruited because of the public service embargo. Garda management are crying out for them,” said PJ Stone, general secretary of the Garda Representative Association.
“They can’t even fill them, and the Minister of Justice is talking about freeing up even more gardaí. That’s nonsense. They can’t recruit people because of the embargo.
“The minister should be challenged. He suggests there are a lot more officers than there are administrative duties. Where are they?”
The GRA will have their chance to quiz Mr McDowell when he speaks at their annual conference next week.
Mr Stone said the garda staff associations had already agreed to the civilianisation programme laid out under the Strategic Management Initiative (SMI).
“The numbers are agreed. There are 219 existing gardaí in clerical positions. That report has gone to the Government.”
A Department of Justice spokes person said recruitment of civil servants to the gardaí was ongoing.
Mr Stone added that there was also a pay dispute between civil servants and the Department of Justice over a parity claim.
Civil servants argue they should be paid the same as a garda doing the same administrative work.
Earlier, on RTÉ radio, Mr McDowell said he planned to contract out administrative garda functions.
He was increasing the recruitment rate at the Garda Training College in Templemore to its “absolute maximum, and perhaps beyond”, in order to keep garda numbers increasing to 12,200.
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