TAOISEACH LEO VARADKAR has denied that his government is deflecting its responsibility when it comes to dealing with the industrial action being taken by gardaí and barristers today.
During Leaders’ Questions, Varadkar said that rosters are an important issue, but stated that it is not sustainable to continue with the Garda roster that was operational during the pandemic.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said the Garda dispute has deepened and intensified over the past year and asked what Justice Minister Helen McEntee’s plan is to resolve the issues.
She said the public are “very alarmed” by the industrial action which involves gardaí withdrawing from voluntary overtime today, in the first of five Tuesdays earmarked for the withdrawal of overtime.
McDonald told the Taoiseach that morale within a gardaí is at a “really low ebb” and called for leadership to be shown.
Mary Lou McDonald begins Leaders' Questions by raising the Garda dispute which she says has deepened and intensified over the past year.
— Christina Finn (@christinafinn8) October 3, 2023
She says the public are very alarmed, while morale within a gardaí is at a 'really low ebb'. pic.twitter.com/BLShoNirlQ
While operational matters are for the Garda Commissioner, said McDonald, the Sinn Féin leader said it is also the responsibility of the Minister for Justice to provide leadership when a crisis point is reached.
“And we are clearly at a crisis point. Standing back from the situation will not assist in achieving a successful resolution. We now need leadership and that includes an action plan from government to fix the crisis,” she added.
Varadkar said citizens need to know that the gardaí are there when they need them, but added that it’s also important that gardaí have a work life balance.
“That’s essential in recruiting and retaining gardaí,” he said. Varadkar said everyone is in agreement that a new roster is needed to fit the modern workforce and provide high visibility of the force.
The Taoiseach also mentioned the issue of the training allowance for new recruits at Templemore. Older people are now applying for the gardaí who have rents and mortgages to pay.
Therefore, they are coming out with a lot less pay, said Varadkar, who added that it is an issue the justice minister is looking at.
Labour TD Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said that the “criminal justice system is failing” on the Taoiseach’s watch.
His comments come as barristers are holding their first ever strike today calling for Government to restore cuts to criminal legal aid funding.
This unprecedented industrial action from the Bar of Ireland (a representative body made up of 2,150 practising barristers) comes after District Court barristers held four protest days over the course of this year and 2022.
The Labour leader Ivana Bacik accused Varadkar of acting like a “bystander”.
The Taoiseach said the government recognises the essential role played by barristers, stating that McEntee is currently in discussions with the Minister of Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe on the issue of criminal legal aid fees as part of the budgetary process.
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