GARDA superintendents are to hold a meeting tomorrow to discuss growing pressure for the settlement of a five year old pay claim.
The meeting comes amid reports of growing anger and disillusionment among senior gardai below commissioner rank.
The 130 superintendents and the force's 42 chief superintendents have been involved in protracted and fruitless pay negotiations.
A pay claim outstanding since 1990 has yet to be settled.
Divisional representatives and executive members of the Association of Garda Superintendents will hold their extraordinary meeting in Athlone tomorrow night amid "frustration and anger" over the negotiations for increased pay and allowances.
The superintendents' workload has increased substantially in recent years with the introduction - of legislation which requires them to supervise fingerprinting and photographing of suspects.
At the centre of the negotiations is the weekend work detail for superintendents which requires them to be on call to their station from 5 p.m. on Fridays to 9 a.m. on Mondays. The superintendents do not receive allowances for this.
Under current arrangements superintendents retire on lower salary than senior inspectors, officers a rank beneath them.
Last year the superintendents drew back from limited industrial action after pay negotiations were restarted with officials from the Departments of Justice and Finance.