It is impossible to overstate the anger felt by gardai at the complete failure of those in charge of the country to safeguard the interest of the ordinary workers, the General Secretary of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) said this morning.
Mr Joe Dirwan was addressing AGSI’s annual conference in Athlone, Co Westmeath.
The uncertainty regarding the public finances and actions by the Government was of “deep concern” to the association, he said.
“In the past six months we have seen our Government undermine the Social Partnership structures, unilaterally impose savage pay cuts through the use of emergency legislation and make other decisions impacting on the conditions of our members without any consultation good bad or indifferent,” he said.
“Thus we have had the Income Levy, the emergency legislation to bring in the Pensions Levy, the recent embargo on recruitment, appointments and promotions, the reductions in allowances and even their non-payment.”
Mr Dirwan said the payment of huge performance related bonuses and pensions to the “golden circle” and reckless lending in our financial institutions had “brought the country to the edge of bankruptcy – if not already off the cliff.”
Anger at the greed and “brass neck” of those in charge of our financial institutions was increased by Government actions, according to Mr Dirwan.
“It was immediately obvious that again the ordinary workers and soft options had been targeted. The Income Levy did not hit the higher earners in a proportionate way – 10 per cent of €100,000 is so much easier to bear than 10 per cent of €20,000 for instance,” he said.
Lack of financial resources are impacting on the day to day delivery of operational policing with no money to improve accommodation or to purchase and maintain the garda fleet, Mr Dirwan said.
“Last month, we learned through the media that a moratorium has been placed on recruitment and promotions in the Garda Siochana; this took place despite the association seeking clarity in relation to this matter at a meeting on the 24th of March with the Taoiseach's department.”
“Over 40 per cent of garda members of the organisation have five years service or less. That is a huge number. It points to the essential need to maintain supervisory levels in the years ahead. Any decline in the numbers of supervisors will mean fewer and fewer members will be supervised or managed and we all know that could lead to dire consequences,” he added.
Mr Dirwan said the pressures in the job were high and increasing all the time. “Numbers will decline with the embargo and we will have fewer members doing the same work. The incentive to people to retire is high and it will get higher.”