asked the Minister for Justice if he will give the following details in relation to members of the Garda: (1) if personnel are rostered for duty on a regular basis or on a fixed period basis and, if so, the period indicating if it is weekly, monthly etc; (2) the rostering arrangements, hours worked, etc; (3) if there is a maximum continuous period of duty above which personnel may not work and, if so, the number of hours, etc; (4) if personnel have rest days and the number of days; (5) the amount of annual leave which members have in a year; and (6) all other leave, transfer leave, sick leave or special leave, allowed.
Written Answers. - Garda Síochána Personnel.
266.
(1), (2) and (4) Gardaí are rostered for duty on the basis of a 28-day roster period, which provides for 20 working days, eight rest days, a working week of 40 hours, on average, and a normal working day of eight hours. These arrangements are, of course, exclusive of overtime. In the case of members employed in clerical posts, the arrangements apply on the basis of a five-day, Monday to Friday, week. Members who are rostered round-the-clock — these are mainly in Dublin — commence their eight-hour period of duty at 6 a.m., 2 p.m. or 10 p.m. The periods of duty of other members are determined locally.
(3) There is no prescribed maximum continuous period of duty.
(5) The annual leave allowance, including public holidays and Good Friday, is 32 days, with an extra four days for members in clerical posts.
(6) Transfer leave:
Not more than five days' leave may be allowed to married members only and, in exceptional circumstances, to single members.
Sick leave:
Paid sick leave is allowed to gardaí on the basis which applies in the civil service as described in reply to Question No. 265. In addition, in the case of illness attributable to injuries received by a member in the execution of his duty, full pay may be allowed for as long as there is a reasonable probability that the member will be able to resume duty.
Special leave:
Special leave with pay is granted to members to sit for examinations held by the Civil Service Commission, the Department of Education, the universities or recognised professional institutions. The period of special leave is limited in each case to the days which are actually and necessarily spent on the examination and on travelling to and from the examination centre. To meet particular needs in the force by providing training for specific posts, selected members are released at public expense to undergo specialised university courses. Special leave is also granted to staff representatives for staff association business, subject to certain limits and conditions. Compassionate leave with pay up to a maximum of three days is granted on the death of a near relative. Female members are allowed maternity leave in line with the arrangements in the civil service.