I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that the new roster will be introduced nationwide, on a pilot basis, on 30th April 2012. Its implementation and operation will be regularly reviewed throughout the first year of operation. The roster has been developed following detailed consultations between Garda management and the Garda representative associations and is designed to ensure that gardaí are deployed at times when demands are at their peak while at the same time improving the work life balance of members of the Garda Síochána.