Ahern dismisses claim over promotions

GARDA RECRUITMENT: MINISTER FOR Justice Dermot Ahern has dismissed as “hog wash” suggestions by the Association of Garda Sergeants…

GARDA RECRUITMENT:MINISTER FOR Justice Dermot Ahern has dismissed as "hog wash" suggestions by the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors that Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan has assumed the power of promoting Garda members from the Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy.

AGSI president Paschal Feeney told delegates at the association’s annual conference in Athlone, Co Westmeath, that under the new public sector recruitment and promotion freeze, Garda promotions would only be made in “exceptional circumstances” decided by Mr Lenihan.

However, Mr Ahern said the Government was seeking to monitor promotions across the entire public sector. He insisted Mr Murphy’s power to assign individuals to particular positions was in no way being compromised.

“The Minister for Finance may sanction appointments or promotions to posts in exceptional circumstances, but the process of selection of individual candidates for these posts will remain in the normal independent competitive process.” He added that despite the public sector recruitment and promotions freeze, the Government was still aware many Garda vacancies needed to be filled as they arose.

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He told delegates everything would be done to protect frontline services. Garda numbers would increase by 500 this year. Thereafter the impact of ceasing Garda recruitment would be assessed.

“Where expenditure has to reduce, I have tried to ensure that the resources available to the Commissioner are spared the sharp edge of those reductions,” Mr Ahern told delegates. He said it was the Fianna Fáil-led Government that had increased Garda numbers from 12,000 three years ago to a record of near 15,000 by the end of this year.

While the programme for government contained a commitment to increase Garda numbers to 16,000 in the lifetime of the current Dáil this promise was made on the basis of growth projections of 4 per cent. The reality was that the economy would shrink by 7 per cent this year.

“The situation is different now and . . . we have to cut our cloth to meet our measure,” he said.

Mr Ahern accepted the introduction of levies was not welcomed. However, Garda pay and pensions were “more valuable” that most in the public sector. While overtime had been reduced it was still running at a sizeable €80 million per annum with €21 million available for Operation Anvil, which targets organised crime gangs.

There had been a significant investment in Garda equipment in recent years and the average age of Garda vehicles was less than three years. Seven new Garda stations had either recently opened or were about to be completed and 400 new prison spaces were being added to jails across the country.

Conor Lally

Conor Lally

Conor Lally is Security and Crime Editor of The Irish Times