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Updated 1pm
THE TAOISEACH LEO Varadkar has told the Dáil that the garda overtime bill for the month of December will be covered by next year’s budget.
However, due to a directive from Assistant Commissioner Pat Leahy, an overtime ban will still be in place in Dublin until next Monday.
In response to a question from Fianna Fail’s Micheál Martin Varadkar told the Dáil that any funding for overtime in December will be taken out of the 2018 budget as wages are not paid until the new year.
“I would have hoped garda management would have been aware of that,” he said.
Martin’s question came in response to an email from Leahy which told Chief Superintendents in the Dublin region that as of yesterday, “under no circumstances” is overtime to be incurred.
Leahy’s letter says: “No other overtime is authorised and any operations intended on an overtime basis are hereby cancelled.
Officers were told: “The Garda Budget for 2017 has been exhausted. All other operations, events, searches, arrest etc for the remainder of 2017 will be performed by the working units.”
A statement from the gardaí said that the budget for 2018 starts next Monday and from that day overtime will then be available to regional, division and district officers for policing delivery within the overtime budget allocated to them.
“All officers will be reminded of the clear need for them to stay within allocated budgets,” it adds.
However, as Leahy’s email outlines, the overtime ban in Dublin will remain in place until the 2018 budget becomes available next Monday.
Any update on the Dublin situation would likely be outlined in another email from the Assistant Commissioner.
‘It’s disgraceful’
Speaking to RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland, the President of the Garda Representative Association (GRA) Ciaran O’Neill said that overtime being used to supplement numbers because there are insufficient numbers of gardaí servicing the State.
“Overtime is the cheapest form of policing and it has been used in the past to fill the numbers,” O’Neill said.
O’Neill called on Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan to implement an immediate budget for An Garda Síochána to ensure that overtime isn’t cut.
With reporting by Christina Finn and Céimin Burke
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Total waste of money…. Half of the kids can’t tie their shoelaces, never mind find a poling station
So we should deny the other half? Half the adult population doesn’t bother voting at all so by that logic it’s a waste of money allowing the rest of us to.
@Peadár Ó’Cearnacháin: Its Ridiclous,but shur anything to deflect attention from whats going on .
@Peadár Ó’Cearnacháin: exactly
@Peadár Ó’Cearnacháin: Judging by some of the TDs us “adults” have elected over the years, and even more bizarrely, reelected, they surely couldn’t do any worse.
@Peadár Ó’Cearnacháin: and if it’s like the Brexit referendum in the UK, most of them won’t be arsed to drag themselves away from their PlayStations to vote.
@Peadár Ó’Cearnacháin: While I’m not sure on the reduction of the voting age I’d have to disagree with your view on young people.
Compared to my generation (secondary school in the 80s) they seem (generally) much more focused than myself and the vast majority of my peers.
While there’s always the temptation to lapse into ‘in my day..’ I have to say I’m generally very impressed with today’s youth.
@Peadár Ó’Cearnacháin: you obviously don’t know too many 16yos. Today’s teenagers are far more clued in than I was at that age in the 80s. Put it this way, if British 16 yos could vote they never would have ended up in the mess that is Brexit
@Gearóid MacEachaidh: Girls and sport…everything else was just noise in the background.
@Peadár Ó’Cearnacháin: Nonsense.
Nope.
Can’t drive, drink, smoke or have sex, but hey let them vote!!
@GClare: but they can work, pay taxes, engage in trade unions and be members of political parties, but hey, let’s not allow them to exercise the most basic democratic right
@GClare: 17 year olds can drive and have sex. They also study politics in school. Judging by thus thread there are plenty of 16 and 17 year old that can make a more informed vote that the “grown ups”
@GClare: They do have a vested interest in the future and some of them (probably a much greater proportion than among us channelised adults) think deeply and freely about it. The rest like most adults don’t.
When I was 16 the future seemed to hold a nuclear fireball at twenty minutes notice so living for the present and enjoying today were at the top of the list and politics didn’t even register. I honestly did not expect to see 40 let alone 60 and that’s in the past now.
Today is not the 1970s, today at 16 it is a long future that is expected and a complex world that’s hard to get started in they face.
So yes give them a voice., maybe it will force us to pay attention to that problem.
@Steve O’Hara-Smith: Well put. I’ve no problem with more people voting.
No nothing wrong with the election age as it is. Bad enough most of the country won’t vote as it is so why get more pulled in who have no interest either way.
@Mick McGuinness: Whats the downside then?
@Mick McGuinness: why do you think young people have no interest. Politics and society is a widespread leaving cert subject.
@Gavin Conran: Sending them literature with taxpayers money. Sending them ballot papers keeping them on the registry, need I go on.
When I was 16 all I could think about were the latest chart toppers, whether I’d ever get a boyfriend, and getting my homework in on time. I had no life experience, no knowledge of politics and didn’t possess the mature reasoning skills that are vital to make important decisions. In short, I was just a kid.
@Liz O’Neill: did that change much once you hit 18?
Ehh no. In fact, I’d look to raise the legal voting age.
@MrsWoman: or better yet, have a maximum voting age. Let’s see how FFG get on without the grey vote.
Most haven’t paid one cent in taxes, wouldn’t know an ESB bill if it hit them in the mouth, will never ever have a mortgage, depend on the bank of mom and dad, probably haven’t a clue what it is to go without and they want to give them the vote???? I wonder why!!!!!
Good to see a progressive bill like this but of course it will be voted down by FFG because they’ve well and truly lost the young vote. I think the voting age will ultimately come down but like many things we’ll need to wait for the grey vote to die off before we see change in this area.
@Declan Doherty: what we need to die off is the hard line ff and fg supporters
@Jason Walsh: I agree Jason. That’s the grey vote. The people who perpetually vote FFG because their fathers voted for them and because they’re too slow of mind and narrow in outlook to consider any alternatives. These people have held us back for too long and the sooner they all die off the sooner we can progress as a nation.
@Declan Doherty: ageism at its best. What go around come around
@Declan Doherty: the nazi party had a few programs to deal with greying populations
@Jim Casey: goes around comes around
@Declan Doherty: you must have been thrilled with the covid pandemic!
@Mike Finnegan: I don’t wish death on anyone Mick but it’s just an unfortunate reality that old people die just as it’s also a reality that old people perpetually vote for FFG.
@Declan Doherty: your dad must have had a strap but possibly could have used it
@Declan Doherty: @Declan Doherty: What an utterly asinine comment. Ageism doesn’t solve anything. The ‘grey vote’ whatever that is, doesn’t die off; you join it! There is a never-ending supply of people advancing in age.
But you could solve it by euthanising everybody over 40, and then ‘removing’ people on their 39th birthday.
Would that work for you? Who’d babysit your kids, though?
@Nick Caffrey: has kids …… jes……. I’m surprised anyone would have a kid with an attitude like him and an attention seeking stain like that
@Declan Doherty: Hilarious. Yeah get rid of those who have spent 50 plus years working and paying taxes.
@Jim Casey: don’t mind him, he’s cabbaged after smoking a blunt
@Declan Doherty: Agree with your comment concerning the gray vote…but convinced next election the gray vote will look hard and long at who will receive their vote. As for the topic at hand ,can’t see government backing on reducing the voting age…a lot of young people have seen their parents struggle, especially the cost of education, health, etc.
I never said anything about getting rid of or euthanising old people. I stated 2 facts. Old people die and old people tend to perpetually vote for FFG. I’m not sure why people take such issue with that. My kids are grown and happy thanks. My parents are also thankfully still alive but unfortunately they also continue to perpetually vote for FFG. As for the personal attacks and comments, well they say more about you then they do about me. Play the man, not the ball.
@Declan Doherty: Meant to say play the ball not the man obviously..
@Jim Casey: first you mention Nazis and then using a strap on a child, one wonders what’ll be next from you.
@Declan Doherty: the party you support use to be very good at dieing off people that had a different opinion. Lucky for you most of the kids today don’t understand what the political Wing actually stood for.
Its no wonder you want to die off the people who lived through it.
@Chris Mc: You’ll have to tell me who I support. I’ve canvassed for the social democrats in the past but I wouldn’t say I support them. I support candidates, not parties. Party loyalty is like a cancer in politics and serves nobody well. Just because someone wants FFG out of power, doesn’t mean they support SF.
@Declan Doherty: what a statement when u say the grey vote are u including all the ( grey)Coloured Brigade because U will be waiting a long time
@Michael Burke: using a strap on Doherty as he was to get rid of old people and yes he seems like one from that German party. Why not contextualise my comment or else refrain from standing up for a nasty comment made
I tought that after the referendum on children, anyone under 18 is classed as a child.
NO NO NO
So what has Thomas Pringle got against 14 and 15 year olds?
This is a welcome and progressive move and I hope it happens. People have made dismissive and cynical remarks about young people in previous comments. That is precisely why 16 year olds need the vote. To make them more visible. To give them the responsibility to think about what kind of society they want to live their lives in and to act on it. Cynicism is easy, and lazy. Engaging positively with the political process (in the broadest sense – including protest) to effect change is a more difficult choice.
@David Meredith: social media is the place where a lot of sixteen year olds live. The latest trend which those children are taking part in on TikTok? Boys ripping clothes off girls for fun in “pseudo machoism”. They are not ready to vote.
another job for mommy to do in her giant size suv. You gotta be joking.. our 16 yer olds havent a f-k-n clue where or what seanad eireann is never mind whats supposed to be going on in it…piss approaching boiling point.
FFG need more cannon fodder as the current voters are walking away from them in droves.
@Jack Cass: That will be happening also if SF or whoever else is in so don’t kid yourself
Ffs
We tax their wages, they should get a vote. All the auld wans in the comment section think they have the right to vote in people who will make decisions for the country when they won’t be around long enough to see the impact.
@Ross Mc Gann: let’s give votes to the babies in nappies cause let’s face it, anyone over fifteen is an”auld wan” LOL!
@Ross Mc Gann: the auld wans will be around for a long time what 16 year old is paying Tax ?
That will be the end of FFG, who thinks up this stuff.
If you can work and contribute to the economy at 16 you should be allowed to vote.
Will this need a Referendum to change the constitution? Will be voted down.
@Anne Busher Collins: It literally says in the article that a referendum will be needed, people give out about kids voting but jaysus we’ve adults that can’t even read a few paragraphs so in my eyes the kids couldn’t be any worse than some voters we have now.
“He said one avenue to reducing the voting age was to extend the franchise for local elections first, followed by a referendum on reducing it for general elections.”
@Anne Busher Collins: Ask any child and they will find the answer for you. Or read the article above go cúramach!
Give the kids a chance to run the country, they couldn’t do much worse than the clowns we have presently.
No absolutely not. They are not interested in politics, dont know there own names at 16.Totally irresponsible of our government to even debate it.
Just another bit of pointless pageantry for the distraction of the masses.
Politicians tell barefaced lies to get elected and forget those promises once they are elected, even the pretence of the will of the people being carried out by their elected representatives is no longer maintained, instead they openly serve corporate interests above all else and are unrepentant in doing so, so it really doesn’t matter who votes in an election, when the very premise of democracy itself has been eroded to the point of farce.
Reduce the ageto vote to 13 i say. Kids are better informed and smarter than their parents these days.
@François Pignon: Well that’s a bit far now isn’t it, 16 is a good median age id say. 13 is not an age we should allow people to decide things for the country.
The government wont support this because they know 16 year olds wont vote for them because they’re doing f all about the climate, there’s a generation of angry kids around the globe who are gonna hammer establishment parties when they get the chance to vote.
It’s simple really, no taxation with out representation. They work and pay taxes they deserve a say in those that influence how those taxes are spent.
We allow 16 and 17 year olds to work and pay taxes, don’t see what the problem of them voting is.
It’s the older generation who have voted the same way for the same parties for the last 100 years, maybe their competence should be questioned.
@Adam Hurley: no representation without taxation eh? That sounds promising. Let’s restrict voting to those who pay more into the state’s coffers than they get out. That would cut SF’s aspirations off at knees (or more accurately above the neck) ;-)
good god ! please can we come back to earth ? If you are american citizen you can drive a car at 16 and kill your neighbour , become a soldier and be killed in any country at 18 but you cannot drink alcohol before 21 ! where is the logic there ? In france you can vote at 18 and marry at 18 but at 16 if your son needs to be hospitalized he will be in a ward for adults while if your parents agree he can freely buy a gun of categories A and B ! where again is the logic ? In japan you can drink and smoke if you are over 20, but you can marry at 18 ! where once again is the logic ? Knowing that many teenagers smoke cannabis (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-37419072) or worse use cocaine (https://www.hrb.ie/news/press-releases/single-press-release/article/media-brief/) don’t you think honestly that refusing them the right to vote is not a bit hypocritical ?
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