There is growing discontent among members of An Garda Siochana in terms of salary, and fears of a mass exodus this summer are rising.
New recruits face a lowly 23k starting salary, while existing members of the force have seen their income severely lowered due to cuts during the financial crisis.
The Haddington Road agreement expires this July, and many gardai are waiting to see if a new government addresses the issue of pay as a matter of priority.
Ciaran O’Neill, vice president of the Garda Representative Association (GRA), has said that: “I’ve had people who have intimated that they want to leave the force, but they want to wait to see what the outcome of the review [of An Garda Siochana] is. I’m hoping that whatever the outcome is, that it will restore their pay. There is a serious feeling of negativity among our new people. I think they’re finding it extremely tough.”
“I think there’s a severe urgency because come July [with the expiration of the Haddington Road agreement], there’s a threat to freeze the pay increments, and that will keep those people on a salary of €23,000. There is an urgency here. The clock is ticking. Something needs to be done by the end of June.
“Morale is at an all-time low and people are frustrated. They’re hearing that the economy is recovering but they’re not feeling it in their pockets.”