How garda wages may change after Labour Court ruling

BASIC Garda pay can be boosted by more than 25pc when overtime, unsocial hours payments, and other allowances are included.

Members of the force are entitled to a number of additional payments depending on their grade and the particular section of the force in which they are deployed.

Salary on attestation after 32 weeks is €23,750.

Gardai assigned to frontline duties and working a particular roster can earn unsocial hours payments.

Such payments can amount to between 25pc and 30pc of their earnings.

At the 25pc level, a garda’s pay package is boosted by €5,937, bringing the total to €29,687. This is before overtime is factored in.

There are also a number of additional payments such as uniform maintenance and boot allowance, to which new gardai may be entitled.

Following the recent round of negotiations in the wake of threatened industrial action, the Labour Court issued a recommendation which set out entitlements in a number of areas.

The proposed deal will provide extra remuneration of around €4,000 to an indi- vidual garda over the next 12 months. This will be made up of an increase in the value of the rent allowance by €500, bringing it to €4,655 per annum as from January.

Meanwhile, the increased rent allowance will be “integrated” as part of a garda salary — this will have the effect of increasing unsocial hours and overtime payments.

Also proposed is a €15 premium payment for each annual leave day to compensate for the uncertainty attached to the taking of leave by gardai.

This payment will be worth €510 per annum to a garda with 34 days of annual leave.

A recommendation of the Garda Siochana Inspectorate regarding the introduction of paid 15-minute “pre-tour briefing or tasking sessions” has also been proposed.

Under the Labour Court recommendation, new recruits who do not currently receive rent allowance will have this restored.

The increment freeze in place for Garda Representative Association members will be lifted and any arrears arising from lost increments will be made good.

Different salary scales can apply to particular grades depending on the historical evolution of pension contributions.