Gardaí struggling to pay bills - AGSI

19-04-2011 11:04am #1

In the news today. "Gardaí struggling to pay bills - AGSI" The average Garda takes home about €40,000 before overtime per year. Is this not the same for most people?

El Guapo! · 19-04-2011 11:06am

If I was taking home anywhere near that I wouldn't be complaining.

Wazdakka · 19-04-2011 11:07am

Jazlyn Attractive File wrote: »

IThe average Garda takes home about €40,000 before overtime per year. Is this not the same for most people?

No..
Most people on boards at this time of day are either unemployed and earning no money, or in IT and are too busy reading everyone else's email to care how much they are paid.

CreepingDeath · 19-04-2011 11:07am

That means they should be more open to bribes if you're caught speeding.

KerranJast · 19-04-2011 11:10am

The only way a member of AGS could be struggling to pay bills is if they've a huge mortgage AND other property investments that have gone south.

FatherLen · 19-04-2011 11:10am

join the club...

Einhard · 19-04-2011 11:11am

What are bills exactly? There was a woman on RTE News last week complaining that she couldn't afford the essentials in life anymore, such as er, her son's swimming lessons.

dvpower · 19-04-2011 11:13am

Jazlyn Attractive File wrote: »

In the news today. "Gardaí struggling to pay bills - AGSI" The average Garda takes home about €40,000 before overtime per year. Is this not the same for most people?

I doubt they 'take home' this amount. Do you mean that this is the average gross salary?

mikemac · 19-04-2011 11:14am

They might have buy to let properties and struggling to get tenants.
There would be quite a few gardai who are landlords

KerranJast · 19-04-2011 11:15am

dvpower wrote: »

I doubt they 'take home' this amount. Do you mean that this is the average gross salary?

http://cso.ie/quicktables/GetQuickTables.aspx?FileName=PSA01.asp&TableName=Public+Sector+Average+Weekly+Earnings&StatisticalProduct=DB_PS

In 2008 their average pay (gross I assume) was €1,076.68 pw excl overtime so ~ €56k per annum gross.

lizlemon · 19-04-2011 11:16am

I think the issue might be that over the years there was an over reliance on really high OT rates to bulk up their basic pay. Many began to think of this as their basic pay and were given loans and mortgages on the basis of this income.
My understanding is that in recent months/years the OT pay has been replaced with TIL so that's where a lot are feeling the pinch..

I have to admit I have very little sympathy..

suicide_circus · 19-04-2011 11:18am

feelingstressed wrote: »

They might have buy to let properties and struggling to get tenants.
There would be quite a few gardai who are landlords

My heart bleeds.

thefinalstage · 19-04-2011 11:18am

40k? *Runs to join the Gardai*

19-04-2011 11:19am

They shouldn't be complaining... If the private sector works with incomes in the 20's could come together, it'd be in the news. But over 40k? Fuk off.

MagicMarker · 19-04-2011 11:19am

Heard this in the news this morning...

http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0419/agsi_garda.html

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors says 120 gardaí could not pay their bills this year.

General Secretary Joe Dirwan says some AGSI members are facing the worst hardship he has seen in the past 30 years.

However, the Association is expected to reject a motion at its Annual Conference in Limerick today seeking to have the prohibition on gardaí taking up certain part-time jobs removed.

The AGSI says it accepts that the financial crisis is affecting everyone, but it says following a 20% cut in their pay, its members cannot afford any more.

It points out that 120 gardaí did not receive any money in their pay cheques last January because once some of the standing order bills were paid and the extra taxes taken - there was nothing left.

The Association says some of these gardaí did not have enough money that month to pay all their bills, which is particularly serious for people who often have to prosecute others for not paying theirs.

Some gardaí wanted to be allowed take up part-time jobs to earn extra money but that motion is unlikely to pass or even be heard. The National Executive is opposed to it and feel it could cause difficulties for individual gardaí in communities and result in an increase in complaints to the Ombudsman Commission.

That's pretty shocking tbf...

EDIT: Actually the impression I had gotten from the news that there was no money left to pay them, not that they had no money themselves after paying their own bills. In that case, join the club!!

suicide_circus · 19-04-2011 11:23am

So they are living beyond their means.... ask for more tax payers cash to furnish their stupid debts?

mikemac · 19-04-2011 11:23am

I believe (could be wrong) if a garda goes bankrupt they are forced out of their job.

A realy old rule and it may affect the landlords among them

snubbleste · 19-04-2011 11:25am

This comes up every single year at the Garda conferences..even during the boom. They are one of the highest paid police forces on the planet.
Anyone remember the 'union' billboarding the place with face photos of garda with bruises in order to either get higher pay or less cuts?

The Waltzing Consumer · 19-04-2011 11:29am

I heard Sean Quinn can't pay his bills either, boo hoo.

When I think of Gardai, I think of landlords, some of the worsrt landlords you could ever have. I wonder how many of these 100+ Gardai are landlords?

Saying they can't pay bills evokes images of gas or electricity bills, in reality, it is probably a good percentage of landlords who own rented property in horrific conditions and can't get tenants anymore.

Einhard · 19-04-2011 11:31am

MagicMarker wrote: »

Heard this in the news this morning...

It points out that 120 gardaí did not receive any money in their pay cheques last January because once some of the standing order bills were paid and the extra taxes taken - there was nothing left.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0419/agsi_garda.html

That's pretty shocking tbf...

So 120 gardaí out of a force of some 13 000 didn't have any money to pay their bills in January. That's less than 1% of the entire force. So 99% of the force are getting along ok, with enough money to pay their bills- and yet we're s'posed to rush in with the sympathy (and, higher wages) for the tiny proportion who are fiscally irresponsible? Perhaps some trainign in financial management might be a good investment...

Guy:Incognito · 19-04-2011 11:31am

feelingstressed wrote: »

I believe (could be wrong) if a garda goes bankrupt they are forced out of their job.

A realy old rule and it may affect the landlords among them

If thats the rule then I dont see an issue. It's like the thing of pople gettign their driving licence back early or avoidign a ban because they "need to drive for work" . If thats the case then they should be much more fussy about doing things that could get them banned, not be so laissez faire about their actions then look for the rules to be relaxed for them.

dvpower · 19-04-2011 11:33am

feelingstressed wrote: »

I believe (could be wrong) if a garda goes bankrupt they are forced out of their job.

A realy old rule and it may affect the landlords among them

There's something similar for bank workers.
I've heard that management in the banks have been giving out to junior staff who are having difficulty paying their mortgages, threatening that the may face dismissal if they don't get their finances in order.

Its a topsy turvy world.

stovelid · 19-04-2011 11:33am

Piles of confiscated drugs lying around in the staion. Short of cash. Head shops closed.

Think outside the box, blue chaps.

dvpower · 19-04-2011 11:35am

AGSI wrote:

It points out that 120 gardaí did not receive any money in their pay cheques last January because once some of the standing order bills were paid and the extra taxes taken - there was nothing left.

By that measure, I haven't got anything in my pay cheques for my entire career because I've spent it all.

My name is URL · 19-04-2011 11:39am

RTE wrote:

Some gardaí wanted to be allowed take up part-time jobs to earn extra money but that motion is unlikely to pass or even be heard.

Well tbh, I don't think the association have any right to complain when they themselves disallow its members to take up part time jobs elsewhere. That's what everyone else needs to do when they are in financial difficulties.

Bosco boy · 19-04-2011 11:50am

snubbleste wrote: »

This comes up every single year at the Garda conferences..even during the boom. They are one of the highest paid police forces on the planet.
Anyone remember the 'union' billboarding the place with face photos of garda with bruises in order to either get higher pay or less cuts?

What do ya do yourself for a living? I might have an opinion on it, typical sh1te on boards with faceless hyprocites with chips on their shoulders, if you want a poorly paid police force accept the consequences, it's recognised as one of the best forces in the world, unarmed, what a fcuking toilet this country is starting to become, everyone watching everyone else and begrudgery thriving!

talla10 · 19-04-2011 11:54am

My name is URL wrote: »

Well tbh, I don't think the association have any right to complain when they themselves disallow its members to take up part time jobs elsewhere. That's what everyone else needs to do when they are in financial difficulties.

The comissioner last year rejected plea's from the GRA to scrap what they call 'prohibited spare time activities' which bans them from taking up second jobs. Its an old rule since 1922 and Gardai have asked numerous times for them to be allowed to take up second jobs if they are going to get pay cuts.

The Waltzing Consumer · 19-04-2011 11:56am

Bosco boy wrote: »

What do ya do yourself for a living? I might have an opinion on it, typical sh1te on boards with faceless hyprocites with chips on their shoulders, if you want a poorly paid police force except the consequences, it's recognised as one of the best forces in the world, unarmed, what a fcuking toilet this country is starting to become, everyone watching everyone else and begrudgery thriving!

Wow, a bit sensitive ain't ya. When a Garda Union goes to the media and highlights these issues, they are part of the public domain and will get debated. Do you not understand that? They INVITED the debate, they sought the debate so cop on!

EL_Loco · 19-04-2011 11:58am

I think the main points are:

they get paid well above the average wage
only a small percentage are in trouble
it appears to be a bit of hype to maybe get a pay rise for the the whole force.

thus far the quality of the work carried out hasn't come into question, so I don't know why it should. They get well paid, if they've fooked it up it's their own personal responsibility.

mikom · 19-04-2011 11:58am

Bosco boy wrote: »

What do ya do yourself for a living? I might have an opinion on it, typical sh1te on boards with faceless hyprocites with chips on their shoulders, if you want a poorly paid police force accept the consequences, it's recognised as one of the best forces in the world, unarmed, what a fcuking toilet this country is starting to become, everyone watching everyone else and begrudgery thriving!

Posted by Bosco boy, yep that's actually the son of Bosco from RTE.

ceekay74 · 19-04-2011 12:00pm

Awww! Only €40,000....

Gardaí struggling to pay bills - AGSI

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