Madam, – A garda’s job can be, admittedly, dangerous. However, after six years’ service, a garda receives €40,537 basic pay. With overtime (€31 per hour) and a multitude of allowances, a garda, conservatively, makes at least another 40 per cent, bringing his or her salary to €60,000 minimum. This is before one considers the added benefits of being a public servant, (pension, etc, and the “job for life” bonus).
Corruption in the Garda Síochána is a crime. PJ Stone’s assertion that gardaí who are not paid enough are at risk of becoming corrupt (Home News, April 27th) is not just insulting to the unemployed thousands, but alarmingly it sends out the message that those earning less than €60,000 are understandably justified in turning to crime as a means to make money.
If rank and file gardaí do not publicly distance themselves from this statement, the Minister should demand all gardaí to declare whether Mr Stone’s statement is applicable to them. Those who say yes can then have this recorded on their file, and their behaviour monitored.
– Yours, etc,
Madam, – On Tuesday we heard the Garda Representative Association had some concern about gardaí being vulnerable to receipt of corrupt payments (Breaking News, April 27th).
On Wednesday, Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern, without any sense of irony, accused the association of getting involved in politics.
Presumably, by the end of the week, political satirists will be threatening industrial action over demarcation issues.
– Yours, etc,
Madam, – Dermot Ahern cops out of cop-in.
– Yours, etc,