New gardaí ‘joining into pay poverty’

New gardaí who’ve just gone onto the streets have “been recruited into poverty” with a basic pay of €23,171 per year and unlike their older colleagues don’t get the annual €4,000 rent allowance.

The GRA, which represents frontline gardaí, say this is totally unacceptable, bearing in mind they face the same dangers as older colleagues and the wages they get are nearly one-seventh of that of a minister.

GRA president Dermot O’Brien said “it’s regrettable” that acting Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald won’t be attending the association’s annual conference in Killarney today to hear about the plight of the new recruits. She is involved in government formation talks.