Plain clothes and footwear allowances to remain

TWELVE OUT of 54 Garda allowances proposed for abolition are to be withdrawn.

The payments which include contributions towards rent, a bicycle allowance and an allowance paid to those whose regular hours prevent them from earning extra for working “unsocial hours” will be stopped for new beneficiaries only.

Following business cases put forward by an Garda Síochána however, some 42 other Garda allowances will continue to be paid.

One of the payments to be stopped is that of rent allowance, a contribution paid to the rent costs of all gardaí up to superintendent level. A case made by the Garda to retain the payment, which was first instituted in 1926, put forward that “members of an Garda Síochána may be deployed to serve anywhere in the State, thereby requiring the member to acquire rented accommodation”.

Following the review, this payment will now be stopped for all new beneficiaries.

An allowance paid to gardaí engaged in clerical duties to compensate them for the loss of allowances they would earn if they worked less social hours is also to be stopped.

The “Clerical (Designated Post/ex gratia)” allowance is also paid to those who perform “civilian duties” such as cash in transit or prison van escorts.

Gardaí made an unsuccessful case to retain the allowance, currently paid to over 400 members, saying it was required to ensure members were not at a loss when they were required to change their work pattern in a way that would affect their ability to earn other allowances.

A payment made to “safety advisors” will also be scrapped. Paid to members of the force trained to act as health and safety officers, the post requires them to work from 9am to 5pm. Gardaí who made the case for its retention said the allowance was necessary to compensate members of the force for the loss of “unsocial hours” payments. Last year, eight gardaí were in receipt of this allowance.

An allowance paid to gardaí required to provide themselves with a bicycle for their duties will also be ended. Members working in the mountain bike unit, supplied with a bike for their duties, are not given this allowance. However 70 other gardaí said to require a bike each received €2.77 a week last year.

The “change management allowance” paid to members of the change management unit set up in 1996 to introduce better IT systems to the force will also be stopped for new beneficiaries. Currently 17 members of the Garda Síochána get this allowance.

The 42 allowances that will continue to be paid include a “plain clothes” allowance that compensates members of the force for wearing their own clothes in the line of duty. It is valued at between €11.60 a week for a garda and €14.68 for a superintendent. An allowance of €2.87 a week for the “maintenance of official footwear” also continues.