AGSI rejects the assertion by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform that Garda allowances can be adjusted for serving members and remains to be convinced that such changes are allowed under Croke Park.
We reiterated our stance at a meeting (16th October 2012) with the Department of Justice.
The list of changing allowances are available on the DPER website but a more up to date table of proposed allowance changes can be found here. This list was also circulated to members by AGSI recently.
The Allowances listed in Appendix ‘A’ (to be removed for new Beneficiaries)
apply to all new members who would join An Garda Síochána and also to any
member who is appointed to a section or area which up to this would have
carried the allowance e.g. Designated Post or who is promoted to a section
which would have carried the allowance e.g. Change Management. However,
the Department of Justice says that members who are already in receipt of
these allowances and are promoted within the section or to another section
where that same allowance is payable, or are appointed to another section
where that same allowance is payable, will continue to benefit from the
allowance.
(Allowances have been approved for New Beneficiaries but Subject to Review and/or Modification)
The Allowances listed in Appendix ‘B’ apply to, and are approved for, all members. The matter of ‘Review or Modification’ has not been explained by the Department of Justice and remains to be spelled out. The Department will revert to us in the next few days with clarification.
The allowances listed at Appendix ‘C’ (Allowances which have been approved
for new beneficiaries) apply to, and are approved for, all members. This means
that those members who are already in receipt of these allowances will continue
to get them. Where members were appointed to positions since 1 Feb 2012 and
who did not receive the allowances listed, they will get those allowances
approved now and back paid to the date they were appointed to the particular
section or 1 Feb 2012.
The Department of Justice is adamant that these already announced changes
come about as a result of a Government decision and therefore do not fall within
the Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme – which is the Garda negotiating
machinery. AGSI strongly refuted this and will continue to object to the
announcement and unilateral approach being taken by Government.
The Association also attended a meeting of the Garda Implementation Body on
Friday 19th October, where the subject of these allowance adjustments was also
discussed. Again, the AGSI objected to the Chairman, Mr. P.J.
Fitzpatrick, about the changes and asked him to determine their applicability, given
our agreement under Croke Park.
You will be kept informed of any development as soon as we know. Please be assured that AGSI will not negotiate the removal of ANY allowance.
