Mr. Martin Callinan:

I wish to make a couple of general points on the issue of allowances. In the context of the 108 allowances outlined in the Deputy’s question, the difficulty of being both descriptive and prescriptive in respect of a unilateral allowance for the Garda was recognised in my opening remarks and by subsequent speakers. This is particularly the case given the unique duties applicable to the force. Some of the allowances could certainly be subsumed into basic pay and I support the arguments articulated by others in regard to the various allowances that accrued to members of the force over the years.

However, other issues arise which might make the process somewhat difficult. I refer to the totality of the allowances rather than individual allowances. The services provided by An Garda Síochána have always been driven by demand. This means we need the requisite number of people in the right place at the right time to meet demands. As the pattern of demand will not always be uniform across the ranks, the nuance between those who are entitled to allowances and those who are disentitled, if I may use that term, would have to be carefully considered in most cases. The issue also arises of operational police officers being available on a 24-seven basis, 365 days per year. The third leg of the problem is discommoding people from their places of employment and asking them to be available for duty at locations other than their normal place of work.

These issues have to be factored in. Many of the allowances - no more so than overtime - are demand driven. The need to match demand with the nature of the employment dictates where allowances should be paid and who should receive them. I agree, however, that a number of allowances could be subsumed into basic pay.