Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am disappointed by the response and fairly sure that people listening in will also be disappointed. At the end of the day, the Minister is the paymaster. There are budgetary issues for An Garda Síochána, some of which may relate to its management of resources. There has to be a better way to approach this than the blunt instrument that has been put before us. The Minister may argue that this is not a ban but when one asks districts and divisions to clear the test set for them, that is as good as an overall ban. The Minister is the paymaster and the person with the greatest political accountability for An Garda Síochána and its role in tackling and preventing crime and in community safety. If this becomes a difficulty over the course of this winter, I would not be surprised if the Minister started to sing a different tune. He should head this off at the pass and seek a meeting with the GRA. There is nothing to prevent him from doing that under any statute. He meets the association regularly. He should meet it about this specific issue, hear what its representatives have to say and let them outline the implications that this will have.

John O'Keeffe of the Garda Representative Association stated:

This is an extraordinary development. As overtime is only ever incurred where necessary and must be approved in advance. Where the requirement continues to exist, it is clear evidence of a resourcing issue. Overtime is essential if our members are to provide an effective policing service to the general public in Dublin and across the country.

He also noted that the Oireachtas needed to be especially conscious of the "signal this directive sends to the criminal fraternity". The GRA is expressing very serious concerns, which are warranted. Whatever way one cuts it, fewer hours means less policing and less Garda visibility on the streets. The Minister will be answerable for that. There is time to resolve this matter. There are three months of the year left. The measure is probably beginning to cut. The Minister should head this off at the pass, meet the GRA and try to explore alternatives.

See this speech in context