Garda strikes: Contingency plans being made for strike

Contingency plans for policing in the event of strike action by gardaí are being drawn up by the Department of Justice, a minister has confirmed.

There have also been fresh calls for current deals with public sector workers to be scrapped and for a fresh work and pay agreement to be cobbled together with unions.

Gardaí were also urged yesterday by the main opposition party not to abandon their posts.

Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe confirmed yesterday that “contingency” plans in the event of a garda strike going ahead are being worked on by the Government.

A Department of Justice spokesman refused to give specifics on emergency measures being planned. But he noted that some members of the Garda Representative Association (GRA) had committed to staying on duty if a strike goes ahead.

“The Garda commissioner will take whatever measures are open to her to ensure the best possible policing service remains in place whatever the circumstances,” a statement read.

“She will have the support of the Government but there is no point in pretending that things can continue as normal if a substantial number of gardaí do not report for duty on a given day.”

The department is refusing to say if Garda reservists will be put on alert when 10,500 rank-and-file gardaí and 2,000 sergeants and inspectors refuse to work for 24 hours on four days next month.

Leo Varadkar, the social protection minister, has said that if gardaí were to strike the public’s perception of the force would be changed forever. “I do think that if a strike goes ahead that people won’t ever look at gardaí in the same way.”

He also said the Government offer for gardaí to go to the Labour Court and Workplace Relations Commission for talks was a major departure.

Fianna Fáil, whose deal with Fine Gael includes supporting the Lansdowne Road Agreement, are opposed to planned strikes by gardaí.

Party leader Micheál Martin said yesterday the prospect of strikes by members of the force was a “major new departure”. He appealed for gardaí not to strike.

In the Dáil, Labour leader Brendan Howlin called for pay talks to be resolved quicker and warned a new pay commission would take too long while the threat of strikes hung in the air.

Mr Howlin later called for “full-scale negotiation” with the union movement about staff conditions and pay.