Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 October 2024
572. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Justice to provide a detailed update on the current status of negotiations with a union (details supplied) regarding the potential loss of Civil Service status for clerical officers in An Garda Síochána, including whether an agreement has been reached; the terms of any such agreement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42913/24]
View answer573. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Justice the measures that are being taken to ensure that clerical officers who may lose their Civil Service status retain their mobility rights to transfer to other Government departments; the reason why the mobility status of clerical staff in An Garda Síochána was frozen for six months without union consultation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42914/24]
View answer574. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Justice the steps that are being taken to address the stress and uncertainty faced by clerical officers in An Garda Síochána due to the lack of communication from both a union (details supplied) and her Department; to ensure that transparent and timely updates are provided to these employees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42915/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 572 to 574, inclusive, together.
The Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024 was signed into law by the President on 7 February 2024 and final preparations are underway in my Department to commence the Act, which I intend to do by way of Order on 16 December 2024.
The Act is largely based on the recommendations made in the report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland (CoFPI). CoFPI recommended that Garda staff be recruited directly to An Garda Síochána, rather than the Civil Service. A central tenet of the CoFPI report was that An Garda Síochána should be seen and treated as a single organisation with a single workforce who share a common mission. It found that more integrated workforce structures were required to leverage the different skills and perspectives of Garda members and Garda staff and thereby to contribute to enhancing the capacity of the organisation to deliver better policing outcomes. It is for this reason that the Act provides that Garda staff will in future be recruited and appointed by the Garda Commissioner, rather than as civil servants. Senior members of Garda staff will be appointed by the Commissioner with the approval of Bord an Gharda Síochána.
During the passage of the Act through the Houses last year, I made an important amendment to the legislation to protect the civil servant status of existing Garda staff for a minimum two-year period after the Act is commenced. Any future proposed change in their status is subject to engagement with their recognised trade unions and staff associations and the consideration of any representations made by them. We have given a commitment to Fórsa and the Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants (AHCPS) that this process of engagement for existing staff will begin as soon as the Act is commenced and that all proposals they may wish to make will be considered at that time.
A Working Group on New Garda Staff Terms and Conditions was established with an Independent Chair and its membership includes representatives from my Department, from An Garda Síochána and from Fórsa and AHCPS. The Group has worked to prepare and agree a new contract and associated policy documents for new staff that will be recruited to An Garda Síochána after the commencement of the 2024 Act as public servants, modelled on the same terms and conditions applicable to civil servants. The work of the group is nearing completion and I expect that the outcomes of the work will be communicated to Garda staff at the appropriate time.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is by law responsible for the administration of An Garda Síochána, including matters relating to HR and mobility for Garda staff. As Minister, I have no role in these matters.
