DESPITE yesterday's disappointing turnout for the Garda march on Leinster House, the idea of a Garda demonstration in support of a commission of inquiry into Garda pay originally appeared to appeal to rank and file gardai unhappy at their levels of pay.
Once among the upper earners of the public sector pay groups, the gardai have since fallen well behind other groups such as teachers, prison officers and even, in some cases, nurses.
Widespread annoyance over the relatively poor pay deals negotiated by Garda representatives in recent years led to the internal rows and splits in the main Garda staff association, the Garda Representative Association (GRA).
The GRA, before it split, represented just over 8,000 officers of the lowest rank in the force that of garda. The 2,000 sergeants and inspectors have their own association, as do the 400 superintendents and 43 chief superintendents.
All four associations are currently unhappy about their treatment under the public service pay rounds. Along with the Defence forces, the gardai are excluded from trade union membership because they cannot withdraw their labour. They are also excluded from direct negotiations with Government over pay.
The Association Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) joined the GRA in accepting a pensionability" deal in 1994 under the PCW which turned Garda allowances into pensionable income in return for an agreement to forgo a basic pay increase above the minimum percentage offer.
The system of allowances had grown from the early 1970s to become regarded as an integral part of Garda pay. As much as 20 per cent of pay might consist of set allowances aside from overtime payments.
The pay deal accepted by the GRA and AGSI benefited more mature officers who could look forward to greater pension entitlements. It did not suit the younger, mainly urban based gardai.
The acceptance of the deal led to a rebellion by Dublin gardai, particularly those based in the southern and western suburbs of the city where there are the highest crime levels in the State and the most difficult conditions for gardai.
These Dublin gardai, together with a smaller element unhappy with the existing leadership for largely personal reasons, left and formed their own staff association, the Garda Federation.
Since their departure, in July 1994, there have been repeated unsuccessful attempts to resolve the dispute. In January 1996 four of the remaining 22 divisions left the GRA central executive table after the leadership refused to ballot members on proposals put forward to resolve the dispute. The latest splt, in which a further seven divisions left the GRA, was also precipitated by the decision of the leadership to block a reunification vote.
At present, the existing GRA executive can claim to represent just over 3,000 gardai, while the dissidents represent more than 5,000.
Faced with this increasingly untenable situation, the GRA leadership held a short series of rallies culminating in a meeting at the National Stadium in Dublin three weeks ago in support of a renewed claim for higher pay. As it was clear there could be no pay increase under the public sector pay round, the demand, instead, was for a special commission on Garda pay.
The rallies and yesterday's demonstration were, in effect, an attempt to recapture the support of former members who were much more interested in a new pay deal than they were in the internal dispute.
However, it appears the Government is unlikely to give way. The Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, has already stated there is "no enthusiasm among her Cabinet colleagues for a pay commission.
She has pointed out, however, that under new working practices which would be recommended by a consultants report, there might well be new rewards for restructured Garda working arrangements. It remains to be seen how this will be greeted by gardai.