Should The Garda Band Be Disbanded?

h7nlrp2v0g5u48

I heard on the radio today that the Garda Band cost the taxpayer 5.5 million euros over the past three years. There are 29 members in the band and each member receives around 58 thousand euro a year for just turning up for practice playing at the Rose Of Tralee and in Croke Park durning big sporting occasions and also representing Ireland in some band competitions around europe. The members of the band are not actually Garda but musicians dressed up in Garda uniforms which again are paid for by the taxpayer. At a time when the Garda Siochana are short of resources and overtime has been cut i'm asking should the money be put to better use.

SEPT 23 1989

Is anyone checking on the amount of notes they are playing?

Don Kiddick

Just to clarify, they are actual Gardai, but they don't do policing duties

h7nlrp2v0g5u48

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Is anyone checking on the amount of notes they are playing?

They might'n be checking on the musical notes but they sure are checking on the euro notes they get paid to play a few musical notes.

Ulysses Gaze

I'd say the entire force needs to be disbanded and restarted with foreign management at all the highest levels.

h7nlrp2v0g5u48

Don Kiddick wrote: »

Just to clarify, they are actual Gardai, but they don't do policing duties

Well the guy on the radio said that they were musicians and not Garda so I think he would want to double check his source of information in the future before putting it out on the airwaves.

January

So they're office Garda?

super_furry

Whatever about the Garda band, someone needs to stop recruitment for the Tallaght-band.

h7nlrp2v0g5u48

Ulysses Gaze wrote: »

I'd say the entire force needs to be disbanded and restarted with foreign management at all the highest levels.

As far as I know the position for a new Garda Commissioner will be going g out to tender over the comming weeks and it is hoped someone outside of Ireland will apply for the position. So hopefully we will see a big shake up if the position is filled by someone internationally.

Reputable Rog

Don Kiddick wrote: »

Just to clarify, they are actual Gardai, but they don't do policing duties

Do they investigate crimes against music?

Ulysses Gaze

natashaob6 wrote: »

As far as I know the position for a new Garda Commissioner will be going g out to tender over the comming weeks and it is hoped someone outside of Ireland will apply for the position. So hopefully we will see a big shake if the position is filled by someone internationally.

As long as it is not that stooge Hogan-Howe

Hector Bellend

Can any of them administer a drink driving test?

McMurphy

Don Kiddick wrote: »

Just to clarify, they are actual Gardai, but they don't do policing duties

Why don't they get a normal band to take their place and let the actual Guards get back to actual policing duty if that's the case?

Don Kiddick

Rick Shaw wrote: »

Why don't they get a normal band to take their place and let the actual Guards get back to actual Garda duty if that's the case?

Don't know..don't care

Professor Moriarty

Rick Shaw wrote: »

Why don't they get a normal band to take their place and let the actual Guards get back to actual policing duty if that's the case?

Then it would just be The Band.

Captain Obvious

Don Kiddick wrote: »

Just to clarify, they are actual Gardai, but they don't do policing duties

They are sworn in but I think they do very little training compared to other Gardaí. I was told that Garda reserves are better trained.

h7nlrp2v0g5u48

Rick Shaw wrote: »

Why don't they get a normal band to take their place and let the actual Guards get back to actual policing duty if that's the case?

Totally agree.

Get Real

And the Fire Brigade Pipe Band and Army Band? Surely the same goes for them in that case?

diomed

Don Kiddick wrote: »

Just to clarify, they are actual Gardai, but they don't do policing duties

So, much the same as the rest of the force.

tayto lover

Get Real wrote: »

And the Fire Brigade Pipe Band and Army Band? Surely the same goes for them in that case?

As well as the Dublin Fire Brigade ambulances if that is the case.

Fr_Dougal

Get Real wrote: »

And the Fire Brigade Pipe Band and Army Band? Surely the same goes for them in that case?

No. The Fire Brigade Band need to be fired, and the Army Band disarmed.

corner of hells

Get Real wrote: »

And the Fire Brigade Pipe Band and Army Band? Surely the same goes for them in that case?

It's the same for the army bands , professional musicians with their only military role being to carry stretchers in the event we get invaded.
My friend was in the army band for about 46 years and he never got to carry a strecher ever.In fact when retired he said he felt he got cheated out of carry strechers.

Some army bandsmen leave the army and guess what ? They join the Garda band. I don't think they carry strechers either.

McMurphy

Professor Moriarty wrote: »

Then it would just be The Band.

I don't know if that would bother anyone other than whoever is benefiting from the yearly budget tbh.

A band needs musicians. The musicians don't need to be police officers if you ask me.

Odhinn

Hector Bellend wrote: »

Can any of them administer a drink driving test?

..the band or gardai generally? In fairness, both know how to blow into something.

corner of hells

Rick Shaw wrote: »

Professor Moriarty wrote: »

Then it would just be The Band.

I don't know if that would bother anyone other than whoever is benefiting from the yearly budget tbh.

A band needs musicians. The musicians don't need to be police officers if you ask me.

Erm if a group of professional musicians were to join the Garda as musicians what should we call them and what should their uniform be like ?

Odhinn

Marjorie Jealous Strap wrote: »

I heard on the radio today that the Garda Band cost the taxpayer 5.5 million euros over the past three years. There are 29 members in the band and each member receives around 58 thousand euro a year for just turning up for practice playing at the Rose Of Tralee and in Croke Park durning big sporting occasions and also representing Ireland in some band competitions around europe. The members of the band are not actually Garda but musicians dressed up in Garda uniforms which again are paid for by the taxpayer. At a time when the Garda Siochana are short of resources and overtime has been cut i'm asking should the money be put to better use.

Yet the guy on the whistle has been forced out on the sick for years...

Dyr

One of my old music teachers wound up in the garda band, she couldnt handle a class of 12 year olds so I doubt she ever became a garda in anything but name

Anyway, break em up ta f**k, near 6 million for a brass band.

The Artane not-just-boys band can do double shifts

clairek6

Saw them live on two occasions last summer sound lads

weldoninhio

100% should be done away with. We already have 2 or is it 3 orchestras paid for by our taxes out of RTE.

Are we sure Paddyland here isn’t just some crazy social experiment to see how far you can push people before the majority snap??

bucketybuck

January wrote: »

So they're office Garda?

They're bandghardai.

whisky_galore

Have they got a whistleblower section?