Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister was the Fine Gael spokesperson on justice a couple of years ago when he sat on this side of the Chamber. He would have asked the questions that I am asking and would have had contacts with the Garda Representative Association, GRA, and spoken to gardaí on the ground. He knows the type of relationship that Opposition spokespersons have with gardaí.

Ignoring the political football, there is a crisis of morale in the Garda. These negotiations were the final straw. Gardaí will see an 8% cut in their take-home pay. These are not premium payments. They work unsocial hours and often put themselves in danger to protect the public. We need the Minister to intervene. He needs to meet the GRA and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, AGSI, to probe through the issues and determine whether there is any common ground on which their concerns can be addressed.

I will conclude on my next point, as I wish to ask a second question.

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