Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. As he stated, the negotiations are at a sensitive stage. For the moment, we must concentrate on securing a satisfactory resolution to the ongoing talks. I assure the House that every effort is being made to resolve the dispute in the only way that it can be resolved, namely, through negotiation.

Intensive discussions are taking place. I know the House will understand that I am anxious not to say anything publicly which would make the resolution of the issues involved any more difficult. Everything that can be done is being done. The resolution of outstanding concerns lies in further engagement and I will continue to facilitate that.

I do not want to mislead the House by pretending there is some easy solution to hand. On the one hand, the Garda associations feel a genuine sense of grievance about their pay and conditions, a grievance felt by many public service workers and others as a result of the great sacrifices which had to be made, given the dire economic circumstances this country faced. While it is easy to understand and sympathise with this, what this Government cannot do is take measures which could only have the effect of endangering the progress we have made in leaving those dark days of economic ruin behind us.

We all have great admiration for the difficult job which members of An Garda Síochána do, day in, day out, in protecting our community. However, we cannot let that admiration and respect blind us to the consequences of trying to resolve this dispute outside general policy in regard to public service pay. Against that background, we need the discussions to continue to see whether we can reach agreement on measures which are possible within the context of the Lansdowne Road agreement. Of course, they have to be fair to gardaí, to other public sector workers and to the wider community, which has to pay for these measures.

As Deputies are aware, the agreements reached between the Department of Justice and Equality and the GRA and the AGSI addressed in a very positive way the issues raised by them in the course of the negotiations which took place over a number of months. In particular, the agreement sought to address the concerns they have articulated in regard to the pay of new recruits, the additional hours that gardaí are required to work, their access to pay determination and dispute resolution bodies and the completion of the review of An Garda Síochána - the Horgan review - which will be available in a number of weeks. The agreement included very significant benefits, including the restoration of the rent allowance worth over €4,000, or 17%, annually to new recruits and also, in the case of the GRA, the lifting of the increment freeze from 1 January.

It is very disappointing that these terms have been rejected and that the announcement has been made in regard to industrial action and withdrawal of service. The reality of any negotiations is that both sides do not get everything they want. However, we must continue in the coming days to work with great intensity to map a way forward, which we will. While our focus is on achieving that, work is ongoing in the background in regard to contingency planning and indeed I met with the Garda Commissioner to discuss issues relating to the dispute, including contingency plans.

Clearly, the reality is that very significant challenges will be faced in this country if there is a widespread withdrawal of labour by a substantial number of gardaí. I believe the Garda commitment to serve our community will inform the discussions that are taking place. I believe all sides must wholeheartedly focus on those discussions in an effort to resolve the dispute. I appreciate the support of this House.

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