Garda body to meet Commissioner Drew Harris over rosters deadlock 

Sources would not be drawn on whether or not actual progress could be made to break the deadlock over plans to reintroduce pre-covid rosters from next month.

The Garda Representative Association is due to meet Garda Commissioner Drew Harris again on Friday morning after a short meeting with him at Garda HQ early on Thursday.

Sources on both sides indicate the meeting went okay but would not be drawn on whether or not actual progress could be made to break the deadlock over plans to reintroduce pre-covid rosters from next month. 

The GRA, which has more than 11,000 frontline members, will hold a meeting of its governing body — the Central Executive Committee (CEC) — after today’s meeting with Drew Harris.

The CEC will draw up plans and positions as the second day of industrial action approaches — on Budget Day, next Tuesday.

Thursday's meeting was between the commissioner and his team and the officer board of the GRA.

The meeting taking place on Friday morning is between the four Garda staff associations and the commissioner and senior management.

Commissioner Harris has said he is reintroducing a previously agreed roster on November 6, but the GRA has requested him to defer that deadline in order for them to engage in talks.

The association is strongly opposed to the reintroduction of the so-called Westmanstown Roster, which will replace the current emergency Covid Roster.

The Covid Roster supplanted the Westmanstown Roster in March 2020 in response to the changed policing demands in the State.

The Covid Roster is comprised of four consecutive 12-hour shifts, followed by four days off.

The Westmanstown Roster is made up of six consecutive 10-hour shifts, with four days off.

GRA bosses say the covid roster is preferred by members as it provides a better work-life balance, involves fewer workdays, and entails fewer costs.

They also argue there are not enough frontline gardaí to operate the old roster, which is made up of five Garda teams over a day, compared to four teams now.

As reported in the Irish Examiner yesterday, official figures show the number of members at ‘garda rank’ has dropped from 12,047 in March 2020 to 11,151 in August 2023 (-7.4%).

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has recognised that the Westmanstown Roster is not ideal but said the Covid Roster made sense for the pandemic and not for normal policing. Picture: Damien Storan

The commissioner has recognised that the Westmanstown Roster is not ideal but said the Covid Roster made sense for the pandemic and not for normal policing, and that the old roster was the only agreed one.

Garda HQ has criticised the GRA for strongly opposing the Westmanstown Roster which, it said, the association “vigorously defended” four years ago after conducting a survey of its members.

Some 53% of members expressed satisfaction with the then-roster in July 2019, with 23% expressing dissatisfaction.

GRA general secretary at the time, Pat Ennis, said the findings showed a “strong preference” for maintaining the roster and said the association would “vigorously defend” it.

Garda HQ said: “In 2019, the GRA strongly supported the collectively agreed Westmanstown Roster and said it would ‘vigorously defend’ staying on this roster.

“Now, in 2023, the GRA has vigorously rejected a return to the collectively agreed Westmanstown Roster.” 

Current GRA general secretary Ronan Slevin said: "That survey was conducted at a very different time in An Garda Síochána. At that time there was a move to switch our membership to eight-hour tours and we hadn't even tested the 12-hour shift pattern.” 

He said since then members have switched to the Covid Roster of four 12-hour days followed by a period of rest on day five and then three days off.

“This has proved to be extremely popular with our members and provided a more stable, productive, and cost-effective work-life balance,” he said.