Gardaí angry at proposals for reduced pay but longer hours

Many rank-and-file gardaí are angry at proposed ros-ters which would see them working longer hours for reduced pay, in an effort by management to stretch a force which does not have adequate manpower.

They insist the proposed rosters, replacing a pilot scheme, would result in fewer officers on the beat and would impact on maintaining public order.

The pilot roster, introduced in April 2012, led to four regular units on shifts being increased to five, but with fewer gardaí per unit. The aim was to provide for an increased garda presence on the streets, especially at weekends. The task had been achieved by overlapping two units at peak times.

However, many frontline gardaí claimed it had a negative, knock-on effect of reducing their numbers on the beat during daytime at weekends, with some voicing concern it had led to an increase in daylight robberies and burglaries.

To accommodate the pilot roster, regular units were being asked to work six 10-hour days in a row, followed by four rest days.

Under the Haddington Road Agreement, gardaí had also agreed to work 30 extra hours free this year.

Garda numbers have been dwindling for several years and are now under the 13,000 figure which former Garda commissioner Martin Callinan said was the point at which the force could not function properly.

The Garda Representative Association (GRA), representing frontline gardaí, believes the force can only operate effectively with 14,500 members.

Garda Michael Corcoran, a central executive member of the GRA, claimed the new roster, if implemented, would see up to eight gardaí fewer per unit on weekend nights in Cork City, where he works.

“This is an example in Cork and but it will be replicated everywhere else. That has health and safety implications for our members as well as members of the public,” he said.

The roster proposals include asking frontline unit members to work an extra four hours on one Sunday every 10 weeks. Garda Corcoran said his members were being offered “just half the going rate of pay for that”.

The GRA said in a statement that it is in negotiation with Garda management on new rosters, “but did not believe the problem or solution is found with rosters... the problem is with staffing levels and there are simply not enough gardaí to fulfil a first-class policing service”.