Vol. 470 No. 4
226 Mr. Briscoe asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí who are members of the Garda Representative Association, the Garda Federation in each of the years from 1994 to 1996; and the number of gardaí who are not members of either union in this period. [19264/96]
My Department provides a facility to enable members of each recognised representative association for the different ranks in the Garda Síochána to have their association membership subscriptions deducted from their pay. As of 17 October 1996 the number of members of Garda rank in the force was 8,460. On the same day subscriptions in respect of the Garda Representative Association were being deducted from the pay of 6,055 gardaí, approximately 1,000 of whom, in four Garda Divisions, while paying their subscriptions, are not full participants in the affairs of the GRA.
It should be noted that subscription deduction facilities on the Garda payroll system are not made available to the Garda federation which is not a recognised association but the Federation say they have approximately 2,500 members.
