Ahern accused of bleeding gardaí dry with ‘savage’ pay cuts
The president of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) Dan Hanley directed members not to use their personal equipment, such as laptops and mobile phones, for garda duties.
The AGSI, which represents middle-ranking officers, is the second police body – following the Garda Representative Association – to issue this instruction to members in their dispute with Government over pay and conditions.
Speaking at the AGSI annual conference in Galway, Mr Hanley said the past year had been the “most difficult and traumatic” the association has had to endure in its 32 years of existence. Addressing Mr Ahern at the conference main table, Mr Hanley said: “Our main cause of anger, of course, is the savage unilateral cuts in our pay. We have been subjected to an income levy, a pension’s levy and a pay cut.”
He claimed the Taoiseach had himself admitted the levies were in fact a pay cut: “So the total reduction is in the order of 16%. Savage by any standards.
“At the same time you protected the interests of the higher civil servants.
“You factored back in their bonus before making the cuts, thereby minimising the hit they had to take.”
He added: “Minister, in the Garda Síochána you have a group of workers as flexible and accommodating as any in the country. We’re human – if you cut us we bleed. We’ve been bled enough.”
Mr Hanley said it was a “sad reflection” on the force that so many members felt they had to use their personal equipment to do their job.
“Members are using their laptops, their mobile phones – with their email capability, their personal digital assistants (PADs), their memory sticks and even electronic investigative/analysis devices.”
He said the association had informed members only official Garda equipment could be used to store Garda Síochána data.
He told members: “Do not put yourself in danger of being blocked [disciplined/denied promotion]. You might be trying to keep the service to the public going, but the consequences could be serious. Don’t do it.”
Mr Hanley said the Government’s treatment of gardaí nearing retirement has been “shocking and inhuman”, with threats that their retirement gratuity payments could be taxed.
He said 800 gardaí left the force last year, an unprecedented number.
“This has resulted in the loss of a huge reservoir of experience – as well as throwing an additional workload on those of us who are left.”
He said many units had now to do their work without a supervisory sergeant, which he said was a “sure recipe for trouble and complaints”.
He thanked the minister for securing the appointment of 120 sergeants and 28 inspectors.
Mr Hanley said the Garda transport fleet was “grinding to a halt”, with no new vehicles bought in 2009.
“We are back to the days of members using clapped out, high-mileage patrol cars.”
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