GRA await roster dispute 'options' from Garda Commissioner

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has directed that the roster, known as the “Westmanstown Roster”, will replace an emergency covid-19 roster on November 6. Picture: Dan Linehan

The Garda Representative Association is waiting to hear what “options” the Garda Commissioner will present at a meeting with them on Thursday that might ease industrial tensions.

The GRA met Justice Minister Helen McEntee on Wednesday where rosters and the vote of ‘no confidence’ in Commissioner Drew Harris by GRA members dominated.

The meeting coincided with RTÉ reports that a 2019 internal Garda report found that work rosters, due to be re-introduced in just over six weeks, did not provide “sufficient resources” to police the country. Commissioner Harris has directed that this roster, known as the “Westmanstown Roster”, will replace an emergency covid-19 roster on November 6.

The new roster will see staff working six days a week, for eight hours per shift, followed by four days off. It will require five garda units to operate it. This replaces the current 12-hour roster, worked over four days, followed by four days off. This roster requires four units.

GRA general secretary Ronan Slevin said the internal Garda report reinforced what his association has been saying for months: “An Garda Síochána simply cannot provide the resources necessary to resource this fifth unit without impacting the delivery of policing to the public.

It has been obvious to us that the five-unit structure was unworkable given the continued recruitment and retention crisis in An Garda Síochána.

He said: “The fact that AGS [An Garda Síochána] actually commissioned their own report which concluded that the Westmanstown five-unit roster was unfit for purpose makes it all the more infuriating that the Commissioner would push for it to be re-introduced at a time when we have almost 450 less gardaí than when this report was published. In fact, it’s simply illogical.” 

Garda HQ declined to comment on the internal report but said that Garda management entered talks with the associations about a new roster in 2019, with 64 meetings over three years.

It said that with the end of covid-19 restrictions, the emergency roster “did not meet the demands of the public for greater visibility” and that the previously agreed roster was needed to replace it.

It is understood that during their meeting with Minister McEntee, the GRA was informed that the commissioner would be presenting “options” at his meeting with the GRA on Thursday which could form the basis of a resolution.

Ms McEntee also repeated her views that it was unfair to personalise their issues with the no-confidence vote. The meeting also discussed other burning issues for the GRA, including recruitment and retention, discipline and suspensions, cost of living, pensions and allowances.