Garda absences up 36% due to Covid and booster failure
GARDA absences have soared 36% on last year, with Covid illnesses and the ‘failure’ to prioritise members in the vaccine rollout to blame.
Illnesses within the force have vastly increased when comparing October 2021 to the same month last year – 24.13% for Garda members and 36.46% for Garda staff.
According to the latest Commissioner report to the Policing Authority, there were 1,492 unavailable for duty due to sick leave two months ago, compared with 1,086 in October 2020.
Just 17 members were absent during this period due to mental health, compared to 18 the previous year.
Month-on-month absences have also dramatically grown with just 863 gardaí on sick leave in January.
The report notes ‘the number of sick absence days, month on month, show an increase of 12.76% for Garda members and a 5.81% increase for Garda staff’.
It adds gardaí lost more than 5,300 days due to ‘ordinary illness’ in October 2021 compared to 4,608 days during the same month last year.
The ‘Covid-19 effect’ was credited with being the likely reason behind the significant increase in absences.
However, when compared to 2019, pre-pandemic gardaí sick leave shows a minor increase of less than 4%,’ the report states.
In light of the surge in absences, Garda representatives say it was inevitable that a substantial number of members would catch Covid19 due to not being prioritised in the vaccine rollout.
They believe more gardaí are now testing positive every day as they wait to receive their booster jab.
Garda Representative Association (GRA) president Frank Thornton told the Mail that he is urging the Government to now listen to its concerns.
He said: ‘Earlier this year, the GRA strongly requested that gardaí, along with other emergency frontline workers would be listed as priority for vaccination for the safety of the members, their families as well as the safety of the public we serve.
‘We will now be requesting the same measures are taken in relation to the booster vaccinations. It is in all our interests that as many frontline gardaí are healthy and available to police and protect the streets and in the communities they serve.’
At last month’s annual GRA conference, members were given ‘no assurances’ that they will be prioritised in the booster vaccine programme.
Delegates said they were ‘deeply disappointed’ that neither Justice Minister Helen McEntee or Deputy Garda Commissioner Anne Marie McMahon addressed their
1,492 off sick in one month
calls for the booster jab.
Impassioned speeches were heard at various points regarding the danger gardaí and their families faced being unvaccinated during the initial vaccine rollout phase.
Currently, the booster dose is being offered to people aged 60 or older, those living in a nursing home or a long-term healthcare facility, healthcare workers and people aged 16 to 59 with an underlying condition.