Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 March 2017
93. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 130 of 1 December 2016, if the information requested was a major part of wage agreements and therefore should be readily available. [11209/17]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware the Garda Representative Association and Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors members accepted the recommendation of the Labour Court which sought to address the concerns that they had articulated in relation to their pay and conditions, the pay and conditions of new recruits, and their access to the statutory dispute resolution bodies. As a consequence, all of the Garda representative bodies are within the framework of the Lansdowne Road Agreement.
In making its recommendation the Court, which is independent in the performance of its functions, acknowledged the uncertainty that Garda members face in availing of approved annual leave due to the requirement to attend Court even at short notice when on annual leave, resulting in the cancellation of their leave and any plans they may have made. To compensate for the uncertainty attaching to the taking of annual leave by members of An Garda Síochána the Recommendation provides for a payment of a €15 premium payment per annual leave day to the ranks of Garda, Sergeant and Inspector on commencement of the next leave year.
In relation to the information previously requested by the Deputy, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for carrying on and managing and controlling generally the administration and business of An Garda Síochána. As advised in my reply to Parliamentary Question No 130 of 1 December 2016 and Parliamentary Question No 79 of 13 December 2016, the Commissioner has informed me that the information requested by the Deputy is not readily available and would require a disproportionate amount of Garda time and resources to compile.
