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THE DEPARTMENT OF Justice has said it is not possible to “accurately predict” the level of reduction in Garda numbers this year following a decision to make a €35 million cut to the Garda payroll provision.
The Department confirmed that, at the end of December 2012, there were just over 13,400 members of An Garda Síochána. The payroll cuts will require a reduction in Garda numbers in 2013 but the Department said the exact number is as yet unknown as it will “depend on the number of voluntary retirements”.
While the number of voluntary retirements tends to vary on a yearly basis, the Department said the average annual number of retirements has been approximately 400 in recent years.
“There has been a reduction in the payroll provision limit on last year. In setting the provision for this year, account was of course taken of the fact that there are approximately 460 fewer Garda members then at this time last year and therefore the pay bill will be correspondingly lower,” the Department said in a statement released today.
Garda management has warned that the cuts would significantly damage the force’s ability to perform – and that up to 1,400 serving Gardaí would have to be be cut in response to the move, bringing the workforce number to just 12,000. Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan, who previously stated he would not like to see numbers fall below 13,000, is considering a range of possible measures to deal with the budget cut, including offering voluntary retirement and career breaks.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland programme today, President of the Garda Representative Association John Parker said the cuts would have a “demoralising effect on rank and file officers”.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Justice Alan Shatter said the Gardaí will be prepared for every eventuality this Saturday, when a demonstration will be held in Dublin city centre by those protesting against a decision to restrict the flying of the Union flag over Belfast City Hall.
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Shatter is single handily destroying the security forces of the state.
maybe he wants mossad to take over……
The army recruited 600 last year but the gards are getting there numbers cut and budgets cut every few months, where is the sense in it??
Great, who needs security. It is not like crime is on the increase.
Safe as houses
Adebayo
I don’t normally use hash tag quotes but one appropriate one comes to mind: #outtastepwithreality
Your right sure there is no crime in Ireland. Lol
In all fairness we do have a very swift force and they are on top of their game to be fair. It’s the justice system that fails their hard work most of the time.
I think this is demoralising to be honest and I fear that things will get out of hand pretty soon.
Don’t fix what’s not broken, and furthermore, Do not take away probably the best asset we have right now.
I’m in support to the GRA here. Stop cuts now!
Hence the reason why they introduced the new self defence legislation last year.
Go ahead punk….MAKE MY DAY
Are reserve gardai included in the figure 13,400??
Probably, send those wannabes/busy body’s into town on Saturday!
Yep, Garda reserves are included in the figures. Completely bogus.
This will lead to a blue flu and army back on the streets, the Gardaí have to stand together and stop all this.
The day of the blue flu is completely gone. Anyone, who is a member of an Garda Siochana, that strikes directly or indirectly, will be disciplined. Those found to be the organisers will be dismissed from the force. All thanks to former minister Michael mcdum….
let them strike…….then sack the lot of them……plenty of people willing to work…………….
Plenty willing to work with no money to
Get them trained up.
seems to be a lot of GUARDS here……..get off the pc and do some work ya lazy………………….
Don’t feed the trolls people.
and this one isnt even a remotely clever troll
….so its coming to this. Unfortunately I would imagine the Gardai who will take up this opportunity of a career break, will be young members who will probably take the opportunity to go to Australia or Canada for a few years with a large percentage not returning, and who could blame them. Minister Shatter will single handedly destroy An Garda Siochana and is putting the State’s security at risk. Morale is under the floor according to Gardai I know. Clapped out cars, double the workload, no time to police properly because of mountains of ridiculous duplicated paperwork, violent crime soaring..also these new rosters are supposedly a disaster, but you won’t hear the mandarins mentioning that…I don’t envy them!
This is going to lead to vigilantism People will feel they are forced to protect their neighbourhoods. I for one have advised all my family on security measures for the coming year. The chances of being burgled hav skyrocketed So I wud rather they be prepared. Be safe folks its gonna be a tough year I’m afraid.
13000 gaurds, 3000 are full time clerical, leaving 10,000, 3000 are detectives or specialist units, leaving 7000 uniform gaurds, divided by 5 (number of shifts) which leaves 1,400 uniform gaurds nation wide per shift this does not include vacation time, sick, career breaks etc… Population of state 4.5 million’ish. A gaurd for every ??? head of population
3000 clerical!! Seriously? That’s crazy.
Yes but clerical staff might be civilian but still counted in garda numbers.
Actually one thing this shop forgot. Ranks, its guards on street. The odd time a sergeant if they have time.the higher ranks are desk bound. I would say a county like wexford might have 10 to 15 guards working at night for while county at a big push.
I’ve heard of lakes of huge towns like arklow with only 2 guards working at night a the likes of youghal working with none.
This commissioner swore oath to protect people but he is just protecting his own career agreeing with minister.
According to the Garda Annual Report as at 31 Dec 2011 there were 11,355 with the rank of Garda and 2,024 Sergeants. The Reserves seem to be listed separately and number 875 operational “and have been warmly welcomed by their full time colleagues”
#someyear’s breakdown of numbers would be accurate though, taking into account shift patterns, sick leave, etc.
Heard shatter on newstalk and on pat Kenny this morning . Absolute rubbish talk from him . Morale is high in the Gardai . Rubbish . Detections are down . More rubbish . Of course detections are down, sure there is less and less of Gardai out there to detect ! just coz drugs detections are down that dosn’t mean that the amount of drugs coming into the country is down . Talking about new garda cars coming in 2013 as if the public should be grateful . all this is doing is replacing the ones that have being withdrawn from service because of high milage . shatter is destroying the force quickly .
another point if like to know is why the hse budget is allowed to go over budget by nearly 500m last year and yet no talk if reductions/career breaks/redundancy in hse middle managers …? oh yeah sure they can strike unlike the Gardai . Lets just cut the Gardai . This is a sad day for ireland …I feel sorry for any elderly person living on their own whether in the country or otherwise living in fear . Shatter dosnt give a dam . He is destroying morale amongst the force and criminals are laughing at them .
Inspector clueless was on the pat kenny show this mirning and said the Garda had high moral and there are no problems…. Well that’s grand so. We can all rest in peace knowing “inspector clueless” is safe with his Garda escorts and Garda static guard.
Seriously,how much more can we take.
What’s that song by coolio,oh yeah “living in a gangsters paradise” i bet our criminal gangs are rubbing their hands with glee !!! Thank you mr shatter.
How about cutting some of the excess government, civil service and council/ corporation flab.. Bet they could save 10 times as much..!
cork is going to explode….they’ve closed so many stations here already…………this kip is getting worse by the minute…..wouldn’t dream of walking around town on my own…..
Yes the army got 600 new recruits and the Gardai get Further Cuts This tell me we are becoming a dictatorship nation
So much for the Party of Law and Order
The trolls on this site are completely ruining it.
we need more Gardai now more than before. this is worrying.
Have politicians still got Garda on their houses .Why not take them away and be like the rest of us mortals Closing Garda stations is a backward step . The local Garda has local knowledge of an area and when crime is committed he has know more than somebody 20 miles away Cutting Garda no is wrong .its more that is needed . Prevent crime more Garda on the beat
Maybe now the Gardaí might stop acting as the Govt private thug squad..
Thug squad? Your parents did a really horrible job with you.
Idiot
Great comment Max. I might say the same about you but I don’t know you or your parents so I’ll show some manners. The facts speak for themselves. Shell to Sea campaign, reclaim the streets march a few years ago, occupy Dame St, peaceful demonstrations being forcibly removed.
Thanks Shane. Playground name-calling are we? Takes one to know one. Sticks and stones etc..
Great debating style.
I’m with you Marky Mark…
The Gardai are government lapdogs who are willing to beat legitimate protestors to pulp and do the bidding of shell to sea…..not going to mention “rapegate”….oops…..just did….
I was at the Dame St removal, nothing forceful about it. Were you there?
The Crusties are great at making a play for the moral high ground with their select footage of Garda wrongdoing, highly edited to suit purpose! Fortunately, for the Crusties, the Gardai are a professional Policing Service and the furthest their recordings make it is to the Courts of Law when prosecuting these professional protestors (Anarchists!) and isn’t then thrown up on YouTube to show the vermin for what they really are!! And you can spout on about Rapegate til the cows come home. It was blown out of the water by all relevant serious-minded parties concerned and found to be what it was…a nothing event!
@Al_K_Seltzer ‘rapegate’ is that the one where the tape of gardai joking about rape was found to be edited a number of times before being handed over to psni forensic examiners, the one where one of the two ladys involved refused to cooperate with the garda ombudsman’s investigation, the one where a seperate video was uploaded to youtube showing the gardai involved helping one of the ladys in question off a tractor while she was shouting ‘your raping me’ which when all is taken into context it appears the gardai involved, while having a private conversation were more than likely joking about the over the top ridiculously false allegations that were been shouted at them when it was clear to see they were not in fact raping anyone in full view of several members of the public and those that were viedotaping the incident…..is that the rape gate your on about?
You are an idiot
Ciaran, no I wasn’t there but I don’t think that precludes me from commenting. I read and heard of many reports of police heavy-handedness there. Nor have I been to Rossport but I know some people who have, I’ve read reports and I’ve seen footage of police brutality. The Gardaí are meant to serve the Irish people not the Govt. They are meant to protect Irish people not brutalise them. I know they have a tough job to do and have to follow orders but at some stage they have to realise that they too are Irish citizens and say ‘enough is enough, I’m not going to protect corporate interests and sell out my country.’
Nuffsaid…what can we do about these vermin? Do you think we could round them all up, put them into camps and gas ‘em maybe?
Well said Paul! One of us is an idiot for sure.
You are the one calling Guards thugs. What happened did you get caught for no tax or something. Have some respect.
Paul, no I’m glad to say that my personal experiences with the Gardaí have been largely positive. I didn’t call the Gardaí thugs, even though there certainly are a few among their ranks, I asked if, now that the Govt have shown their true colours, whether they might stop acting as a private thug squad for them, as was shown at reclaim the streets and shell to sea to name a few. I don’t think the Gardaí should be used to enforce corporate thievery of our national resources. And some of the brutality I’ve seen in Rossport is nothing short of thuggery.
Does that make me an idiot? Or are people who have different views to your own always idiots?
Your knowledge of what pressures Gardai are working under these days is very limited judging by your posts and is mostly guess work influenced by the rest of the sheep. Think for yourself maybe. Vent your ridiculous comments to Minister Adolf Shatter. Gardai are not thugs and do not behave like thugs. So in answer to your question only idiots get called idiots. That’s my opinion. Clear enough for you.
Good man shatter. What if one if the garda jobs being cut is the one outside your gate or the one driving you around. What if that 96 year old woman in donegal that was beaten up for her purse was your mother. Would you cut garda numbers then. Oh and see all them garda stations you shut down well the state still owns those buildings and the heating has to be left on to stop them getting damp. You saved nothing while putting rural vulnerable public at risk. You weren’t long forgetting about the people who voted you in. Muppet
An ordinary Garda’s pension would cost €1m to buy if you were in the private sector.
We are not broke for no reason.
We”re broke because of bankers and politician treating the country like a giant game if monopoly. I think paying garda pensions are a drop in the ocean in comparison. Shatter is driving the force into the ground
Em any proof?
You needn’t worry, the Airport Police will keep us safe, sure they’re the same as the Gardai.
Garda should be the last ones to get cut, along with the nurses and the fire fighters and ambulance. This government is betraying the country wholesale. As with the hair brained idea theyve come up with to pay new nurses 80% of their proper wage – this proposal is extremely short sighted and will only save them a pittance now, and cost a huge amount later both in money and damage to society.
They have overstepped the mark with this arseholery and its got to stop.
Is 13,000 not enough Gardai maybe if they used reserves more they could fill the busy times?
Reserves are there to assist not replace!
Reserves have very limited powers and must be in the company by a full time Garda when ever they go on the beat etc so being top heavy in Reserves wouldn’t work with their limited powers. No point having them stansing around the station doing nothing as their is no actual Gardai to accomany them out on the streets
I think reserves are included in that number
a full time garda………………sitting on there arses in the stations reading the journal……………….paid for nothing
This thread is closed to working gardai…..get off yere asses and do some work………
Stick to your day job if you have one, you’re never gonna make it as a troll.
Too many crusties on this. The smell of campfire is nauseating.
too many queen licking gardai on this site………………up the rebels
1400 garda to go !! just think what we will save on tea . good job, mr shatter ,keep up the good work .
Yet another idiotic troll.
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