As many as 20 per cent of gardai are suffering from severe work-related stress and, both individually and as a force, the Garda Siochana appears to be unable to cope with the problem, a survey has found.
The findings emerged yesterday at a seminar organised by the Garda Representative Association (GRA) and University College Cork's department of applied psychology.
The department survey was based on questionnaires returned by 424 officers out of a sample of 1,069 members of garda rank. It is the first major survey into work-related stress within the force.
The main findings were that 68 per cent of gardai experienced low levels of stress. Some 12 per cent suffered moderately and 20 per cent were in the "severe" category, where they suffered sleep loss and general illness.
The report by Dr Ethel Quayle, Prof Max Taylor and Mr Denis Ryan, pointed out that stress-related illness decreased efficiency and increased costs. Levels of severe stress in the Garda were higher than in other forces.
Very few officers appeared to have suffered stress as a result of being involved in dangerous situations or being involved in "body recovery" after fatal accidents.
Most of those suffering from severe stress appeared to be long-serving officers in positions where the work was routine and required levels of responsibility. Married officers with more than three children and single officers suffered stress, as did officers in rural divisional stations.
The report says: "The results of this study give cause for concern. They suggest that there are respondents who may be in need of help but who cope by keeping issues to themselves rather than by looking to the organisation for problem resolution.
"The study does suggest that there are many individuals for whom routine police duties in the context of organisational issues generate considerable amounts of stress and that such stress is evidenced in sleep disturbance and physical illness."
The authors say the force needs to acknowledge that routine policing work may be a stressful occupation; that existing welfare provision was not meeting the needs of stress sufferers; and that the current climate in the force militated against proper ways of coping.
The acting general secretary of the GRA, Mr PJ Stone, described the findings as deeply worrying and something which could not be ignored by Garda management or Government.
He said the GRA would present copies of the report to the Garda Commissioner, Mr Pat Byrne, and the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, at their next meetings. The new GRA executive is to meet Mr Byrne today.
Mr Stone said: "The GRA commissioned this report and had absolutely no idea what the findings would be. It was a totally and absolutely independent survey carried out by UCC.
"The findings show there are considerable levels of stress in the Garda Siochana, with as many as 20 per cent of officers suffering stress at levels that require expert help.
"This is going to require major attention from Garda management. This report just can't be put in the dustbin. It emphasises quite clearly that the Garda Siochana have major problems relating to stress."
Mr Stone said there had been no significant progress in the informal talks which have been taking place between the association and the Department of Justice over the proposed second daylong strike which is threatening the Dublin start of the Tour de France on July 11th.
He said contacts with Government and Garda management were continuing but there had been no "significant advances".
The GRA is seeking a pay rise in double figures on top of awards already granted under the last public sector pay round. The Government has stated repeatedly it will not countenance any large increases.