asked the Minister for Justice what is the current rate of cycling allowance for members of the Garda Síochána in the Dublin city and county area.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Garda Allowances.
28.
Members of the Garda Síochána who are required to provide themselves with bicycles for use on duty are paid an allowance of £6 10s a year.
Does the Minister not think that in the city area a rate of £6 per year——
£6 10s.
——is a bit antiquated?
In which city area?
That is a matter which should be taken up by the force through the conciliation and arbitration machinery.
29.
asked the Minister for Justice if he will state the mileage allowance for gardaí who are using their private vehicles for duty.
Gardaí who are authorised to use their cars on duty are paid mileage allowance on the same basis as the Civil Service. For the first 4,000 miles per year, the present rates, which are in process of being adjusted, vary from 1s to 1s 2¾d per mile according to the size of the car. For mileage in excess of 4,000 a year, the rates vary from 6½d to 9d per mile.
Could the Minister state the necessary requirements which must be fulfilled before a member of the gardaí can use his car instead of using his bicycle?
That is a separate question.
All I know is that where a member is required to use his car he is paid what is rather quaintly called a "locomotion allowance".
May he use his car instead of his bicycle?
That would be a matter for his superior officers to decide.
30.
asked the Minister for Justice if he will state the length of time that a member of the Garda Síochána must wait before he is remunerated for overtime.
Under existing arrangements, where a member has given extra attendance, he is compensated by the grant of time-off in lieu. The Conroy Commission has recommended that where a member works overtime he should be allowed compensatory time-off within three months or, if that is not possible, that he be given overtime pay.
The question of a reduction of hours of duty is under active consideration and a study group has been set up within the force for the express purpose of considering how best the changes can be brought about in the structure of the force, the various duties that can be cut down or cut out, the better utilisation of manpower by the closing and reduction of stations with increased mobility and the use of modern equipment and radio units.
Does the Minister not think it will be extremely difficult to administer the payment of overtime on a three-monthly basis where certain days will have been given to the State in substitution duty? This is an administrative difficulty. Would the Minister say whether the new arrangements will be implemented on 1st April?
I do not know that the implementation of this arrangement will present difficulties of the type suggested by the Deputy. If time-off in lieu can be given it will be given; if not, overtime will be paid.
Will the Minister state at what rate the overtime will be paid?
That is laid down in the Conroy Commission Report.
In view of the shortage of gardaí would the Minister say whether it is reasonable to suggest that time-off should be given in lieu of extra hours worked?
I can only tell the House what the Conroy Commission have recommended. They have gone into this very carefully and this is their recommendation.
Does the Minister think it was fair that time-off in lieu of overtime should be on an hour-for-hour basis? If payment is recommended at the rate of time-and-a-half is it fair that the gardaí should only get time-off equal to the number of hours worked?
This is described as "compensatory time-off in lieu".
A garda might not get the exact amount of time off.
Is the Minister aware that a recent statement of the Garda Representative Body says that they want a definite date given in regard to rates of overtime and when overtime pay will be introduced? Has the Minister any comment to make on that statement of the Garda Representative Body?
I am not the Minister for Justice. I can only give a general answer as a Member of the Government. It is the wish of the Government that the recommendations of the Conroy Commission should be implemented as quickly as possible.
Surely any garda who works overtime and desires to be paid should be paid for his overtime and not given time-off. This should be a matter for the individual garda——
That is not the recommendation.
That is the usual way in any business.
At the moment all we can deal with is the implementation of the recommendations of the Conroy Commission as rapidly as we can. There is also a proposal in the Conroy Commission report that a consultative council be established. That has been set up. It seems that that consultative council would provide a useful forum for discussing the sort of ideas which Deputies have mentioned here.
May I ask the Minister would he be favourably disposed to time-and-a-half on an overtime basis as against time-off generally?
This is a matter for the gardaí. The force itself through its representative body, the consultative council or through the conciliation and arbitration machinery, should discuss it with the Department of Justice.
Would the Minister not accept that trade unionists generally prefer to be paid for their overtime rather than be given time-off? We had to fight for this for 40 years. Surely the gardaí are entitled to be paid for overtime?
This very high-class commission was set up. The commission have made certain recommendations. The first job is to get those recommendations implemented. We can then proceed from there.
It is a pity there were not a few trade unionists on the commission.
It seems that trade unionists can have certain difficulties too.