Security: Gardaí refuse to Volunteer at Croke Park

LiamMc

With members of the Gardaí not volunteering to help Police Croke Park for the Dublin game this evening. Gardaí assigned to other duties around the city will be requested to attend the Stadium.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/gardai-refuse-to-volunteer-for-overtime-at-croke-park-match-tonight-586653.html

Up to 80 Guards are being assigned duties at the Stadium.

While it is necessary for the members of teh Guards to be available to other security at the stadium. In this temporary situation of Gardaí taking industrial action,would it be more prudent of organisers at Croke Park to recruit more security and reduce the pressure needed for An Garda.

ProudDUB

Am not gonna get into the rights and wrongs of the Guards not being at CP today, but I do firmly believe that all event organizers (be it the GAA or concert promoters) should be providing and paying for security for their own events. If it cuts into their profits, tough luck. That's just the cost of doing business. The tax payer shouldn't have to cough up for it imo.

The Maverick

ProudDUB wrote: »

Am not gonna get into the rights and wrongs of the Guards not being at CP today, but I do firmly believe that all event organizers (be it the GAA or concert promoters) should be providing and paying for security for their own events. If it cuts into their profits, tough luck. That's just the cost of doing business. The tax payer shouldn't have to cough up for it imo.

Event organisers, the GAA in this case, do pay the Gardaí for providing support at these events. I'm not exactly sure of the details but I believe all Gardaí within the stadium are fully paid for by the GAA. I don't know how it works for guards on duty outside at barriers etc. Realistically, you're always going to need a police presence at large scale events like this, there's only so much security guards can actually do on their own.

There's a fair amount of security in place already during Croke Park matches, ranging from volunteer and paid stewards, to fully paid Brinks security guards.

Clareman

Indeed the GAA do pay for the Gardaí presence on match day, they more than cover the expenses, you often see reported that Croke Park needs to have 40k people in attendance to break even, expenses would include paying for an increased Garda presence, not only in the stadium but for traffic management and stuff around it, would have been outlined as part of the planning permission criteria given for hosting the event.

nice_guy80

you wouldn't mind but half the Gardai in Dublin seem to be from Mayo!

68Murph68

Clareman wrote: »

Indeed the GAA do pay for the Gardaí presence on match day, they more than cover the expenses, you often see reported that Croke Park needs to have 40k people in attendance to break even, expenses would include paying for an increased Garda presence, not only in the stadium but for traffic management and stuff around it, would have been outlined as part of the planning permission criteria given for hosting the event.

There's also the fact that the Guards are the ones who have final say on the number of Guards needed on duty at events like this.

Basically the Guards are the ones who set the required number of 80 for tonight and the GAA have to pay for this, so there is literally nothing the GAA can do in terms of hiring more security in order to reduce the number of Guards.

If the GAA don't cough up the cash then the Guards can legally stop the event from going ahead under public safety legislation.

Its not just a matter that effects the GAA but affects all other large events.

LeftBlank

Gardai outside the stadium are paid, inside the stadium are voluntary. I believe there's a big demand for jobs inside the stadium as they get to see the match.

DoctaDee

LeftBlank wrote: »

Gardai outside the stadium are paid, inside the stadium are voluntary. I believe there's a big demand for jobs inside the stadium as they get to see the match.

Pillar Caffrey got to watch matches on the bench .. how good's that !!

InchicoreDude

LeftBlank wrote: »

Gardai outside the stadium are paid, inside the stadium are voluntary. I believe there's a big demand for jobs inside the stadium as they get to see the match.

Are you sure about this? Do you have a source?

While I can understand why a guard would want to do this for an all-ireland final, why would someone choose to work voluntarily in tonights match, rather than pay 13 euro???!

I am sure I saw a report in the past where the GAA broke down exactly how much they paid Gardai on match day (It was an exact break down of the costs involved in match day).

nice_guy80

LeftBlank wrote: »

Gardai outside the stadium are paid, inside the stadium are voluntary. I believe there's a big demand for jobs inside the stadium as they get to see the match.

Gardai who volunteer to work are paid overtime rates by the GAA
they 'volunteer' as they are not actually rostered to work at those times

Pappa Charlie

I heard that there was only one garda on duty last week for the Kilkenny v Galway match in pearse stadium with a crowd of over 10000 people at the match, there was a problem at the stiles and a few hundred people still trying to get in 20 min after the game started and gates had to be ordered open by the garda, disaster waiting to happen, heard GAA Predicted a small crowd and as a result didn't have to pay for gardai, money v safety!!

nice_guy80

Pappa Charlie wrote: »

I heard that there was only one garda on duty last week for the Kilkenny v Galway match in pearse stadium with a crowd of over 10000 people at the match, there was a problem at the stiles and a few hundred people still trying to get in 20 min after the game started and gates had to be ordered open by the garda, disaster waiting to happen, heard GAA Predicted a small crowd and as a result didn't have to pay for gardai, money v safety!!

All Ireland champions in town vs the all ireland finalists.
chance for revenge

all that would add up to a big crowd
imagine if they'd really promoted that game! (in the way Connacht rugby hype up even their most meaningless game). could have easily got 15,000 in there.

then again, Salthill is usually empty

InchicoreDude

nice_guy80 wrote: »

All Ireland champions in town vs the all ireland finalists.
chance for revenge

all that would add up to a big crowd
imagine if they'd really promoted that game! (in the way Connacht rugby hype up even their most meaningless game). could have easily got 15,000 in there.

then again, Salthill is usually empty

Very difficult to gauge the attendances at Galway GAA games (Galway GAA supporters are the most fickle ones around!), particularly in Salthill. Usually, the Galway footballers have 1 or 2 league matched outside Pearse in Tuam. Be nice if the hurlers played 1 match outside Pearse too, in Athenry or Loughrea or Portumna or somewhere......