An emergency meeting of senior Garda management is to take place at the Garda College in Templemore, Co Tipperary, tomorrow to discuss the potentially damaging effects on policing if the rank-and-file membership of the force rejects a Government pay offer.
The meeting will focus on a possible information-handling crisis if the force refuses to comply with the introduction of a new £50 million computer system as part of a pay deal.
Some 8,000 gardai are voting this week on whether or not to accept the terms of the Government's special pay offer which will give members between 9 and 13 per cent above the statutory pay awards. Voting ends this evening and the poll decision will be announced on Monday. The Garda Commissioner, Mr Pat Byrne, has called on all 59 officers of commissioner and chief superintendent rank to meet tomorrow morning. Management's main concern is that the force will refuse to work the new £50 million PULSE (Police Using Leading Systems Effectively) computerised information system.
The present mainframe computer system is understood not to be Y2K-compatible. It is being effectively closed down from October 16th, and all existing records will be transferred to the new PULSE system.
Gardai were to have begun implementing PULSE by February this year but this has been delayed because of the pay dispute.
If the gardai turn down the pay offer and refuse to work PULSE, the force may have to revert to a "manual" system of information-gathering and storing. This could mean that all records will have to be stored on paper forms. These could later be filed into the new computer system by clerical staff. One potential problem will be in tracing vehicle registrations. If the Garda's computer link with the Motor Taxation Office is lost, gardai will have to ring up local taxation offices.
Gardai working in city divisions have already voted against accepting the pay deal. The city police were particularly incensed about a proposal to change their working rosters.
According to GRA sources, many members wish to wait for an outcome to the nurses' pay dispute before accepting a final pay settlement.