Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 September 2023
418. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Justice if, given the recent ballot by the GRA, she will acknowledge that morale within An Garda Síochána is low; if she will consider using the mechanism of the Workplace Relations Commission to address issues between management and rank-and-file gardaí; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41316/23]
View answerWith the enactment of the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2019, members of An Garda Síochána gained access to the industrial relations machinery of the state, including the Workplace Relations Commission and the Labour Court. In parallel, new internal dispute resolution mechanisms were introduced in An Garda Síochána at that time and the management of industrial relations in An Garda Síochána came under the direct remit of the Garda Commissioner.
The Garda roster which is currently in operation, and which has become known as the “Covid Roster”, was introduced by the Commissioner to deal with the specific policing requirements that arose during the Covid pandemic. It was always intended by the Commissioner to be a temporary roster, to be replaced in due course. This Roster reflected the fact that the country was in lockdown and that the policing requirements were more evenly spread than would be normal.
The Commissioner extended the roster on 13 occasions, with the most recent extensions intended to facilitate the conclusion of talks on a new roster.
The Government wishes to see a solution to this issue in order to support the health and well-being of members of AGS and also ensure whatever roster is in place serves the public especially the most vulnerable in society.
The only way to resolve these differences is through talking and engagement. The industrial relations machinery of the State which have a proven record of resolving the most difficult disputes is available, as are the internal Garda dispute resolution mechanisms.
