Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 83: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding garda allowances (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39328/11]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Question 84: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if his attention has been drawn to the fact that garda allowances worked on a four week period are due for payment 11 days after the roster ends, that Sunday and unsocial hours worked up to the 11 December 2011 fall due to be paid on 22 December 2011 but are now being scheduled for payment in January 2012; the reason that this is the case; if he will review this issue to ensure that these allowances are paid on the 22 December due to the proximity of Christmas and demands on family incomes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39330/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 83 and 84 together.

I am informed by the Garda Authorities that while members of the force are paid their salary on a weekly basis, the mechanism for payment of certain allowances and overtime is on the basis of the 13 four-week Garda roster periods in each year. Thirteen such payments are made every year, including this year, to members of An Garda Síochána based on claims submitted in respect of overtime and unsocial hours worked for each of these roster periods.

Members usually receive payment on the third Thursday after the end of a roster period. Consequently, roster payments are generally made three weeks in arrears e.g. roster ending November 13 was paid on 1 December 2011. The reason that payments for the roster period which ends on December 11th cannot be paid in 2011 is that the payrolls over the Christmas period and the first payroll of the New Year have to be processed earlier than normal due to the extra bank holidays over this period, during which the Clearing Banks are closed and thus unable to process payments. The actual processing date for the last payroll of 2011 (Week 52 on December 29) is 9 December, which is two days before the end of the roster period in question. As claims can only be processed after the roster period is finished, it is not possible for these claims to be paid before the end of the calendar year.

It should be noted that there have been no changes made to the payroll process this year as the practice outlined above has been the case for many years and members continue to receive thirteen roster payments each year.