Mr. Brendan O'Connor:

The vast majority of work is done on a voluntary basis but when there are specific operations, a VIP visit or a massive security risk, members would be directed. The word "additional" is often rolled out in these contexts, as in this €10 million will result in additional gardaí. However, there are no additional gardaí. We are asking the same group of people to do more. The people in the busy areas suffering burnout were referred to early. It is the people in the busy city centre stations who are at the coalface of policing. There is no let-up ever in the demand and they are constantly being asked to do more and more. Sometimes, if there are not sufficient resources available, people may be brought in from the suburbs or outlying stations and then a suburb in north or west Dublin is stripped to facilitate the policing of an event in the city centre. At the end of the day, it is the same problem. There are not enough people and there are more demands on the service. That is not sustainable for our people.

People think this is positive for earnings but it is not about earnings. It is about a work-life balance because people's health and well-being are suffering as a result of the increased burden being put on them. It is not a solution. It is another acknowledgment that the existing resources allocated to the city centre stations are not sufficient to provide the required police presence. The fact is it takes an additional €10 million just to provide what would reasonably be expected as a visible police presence.