General Secretary of AGSI John Redmond addressed the Dáil Public Accounts Committee (1st November 2012) on allowances paid to members of An Garda Síochana.
Accompanied by President Willie Gleeson and members of the National Executive, John Redmond said “AGSI cannot engage in any negotiations on elimination or ‘review/modification’ of allowances by the official side.
“These allowances form part of the basic pay of our members and are something that Gardaí cannot do without, given the ever-increasing costs of living. It should be remembered that Mr Kieran Mulvey , Chief Executive of the Labour Relations Commission, during the Croke Park Negotiations, viewed the Garda allowances are part of core pay.”
John Redmond also said he wanted to dispel myths surrounding allowances paid to AGSI members.
“There is ambiguity surrounding the amounts of payments made, taxation liability, the numbers to which the payments refer, and the widespread belief that all members of An Garda Síochána get all allowances.”
Mr. Redmond outlined that the Croke Park Agreement is working. “It has saved in or around €1.5 billion in costs to date. As you know, it guarantees no further wage cuts in return for industrial peace and a far reaching aggressive agenda for change across the public sector. An Garda Síochána has progressively pursued these changes. Moreover our members have delivered what was required to date and this has been publicly acknowledged by Garda Commissioners, Mr P.J. Fitzpatrick, the Chair of the Garda Implementation Body, and Ministers Howlin and Shatter.”
He went on to say that members of AGSI have already suffered significant cuts in pay through a wage cut, Universal Social Charge, increased PRSI, increased Insurance levies, and a pension-related levy, all of which resulted in a +20% reduction in pay for members. “Coupled with this, a 6% increase granted under T 2016 was withdrawn and of course will not be paid now,” he said
The full text of the AGSI submission can be downloaded here.
The recorded transcript of proceedings from that Public Accounts Committee meeting can be downloaded here.
Pictured above: L-R John Redmond, Antoinette Cunningham, Willie Gleeson, John Parker, President Garda Representative Association, Brian O Dea and Michael Gallagher.
