Gardai now best paid workers in the state - CSO

lbunnae

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121453190#Comment_121453190

You are coming across like a **** tbh. You have no idea of this blokes circumstances. Calling someone doing overtime that is available for him to take, greedy is just pathetic. Ignore function used.

lbunnae

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121453335#Comment_121453335

In fairness lots of professions think they arent paid well enough. I know a few teachers who would actively tell their kids not to pursue it. I do think your theory is very tin foil hatty , i do also agree that both are well paid though.

Potential-Monke

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121441118#Comment_121441118

Inspector I believe is the one where you change from shift to office. They'd be expected to attend more public events than Supers/Chiefs, and some do some evenings/weekends in fairness to them, but most are just in the way when they do. Most Gardai will stay on the shift pattern. Then there are different areas, such as Community Policing or the Crime Unit which work less full nights, ie: not between say 3/4am and 6/7am. D/Gardai would do those kinda hours. Sergeants with units work the same hours, as do D/Sergeants, however D/Sergeants would also be spending a lot of time in court or working during the day because of meetings, etc, so wouldn't be doing as many lates. D/Inspectors are mainly office based so office hours. Supers/Chiefs, Ass/Dep/Commissioner work office hours. Then you have other specialised units, such as the Immigration office which is mainly office hours but sometimes required OOH for warrants/inspections/arrivals, etc. Warrants office is mainly office hours but the Gardai in there sometimes work late to serve warrants/summons. PSV Garda is office hours, most specialist interviewers are office hours based, family liason is mainly office hours but with home visit exceptions and incident response. ARU/ERU are shift. Traffic Roads Policing are mainly shift but with very few all nighters, more like CP/Crime hours.

And just in case there's any chancers reading this, this is not always 100% accurate. Crime do work all nighters if required, etc. It's all about patterns. The "Regular" units cover in the hours these specialised units are not working.

Promotion is the main way to get off the 24/7 shifts. But not everyone can be promoted, and like any job it's rife with nepotism/favouritism.

bobbyD1978

Well they're ya have it.

Posted accurate information, called greedy, reckless and in efficient amongst others.

Didn't feel inefficient a few Thursdays ago when I did VOLUNTARY overtime on O'connell street. Mind you didn't feel voluntary either when my mortgage had skyrocketed and inflation running at 7%

But anyway, I'm not arguing over my pay or pension which is all not new information and is like complaining that I didn't realise pilots were well paid and got cheap flights or that a Stockbroker is very well paid.

Or that in Spain my wages would be going towards a 250 euro a month rent and my absolutely free doctor on less tax. As well as my kids various clubs that cost a fraction of what they do here. It's almost like their lower pay reflects their lower cost of living..... How odd.

HerrKuehn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121456079#Comment_121456079

Most people complaining about 100k type salaries don't really give much thought to how much of it goes in tax. The tax goes to support an inefficient public sector, which provides very little value, particularly around the health service. At least you can look on the bright side that you actually get something for the tax you pay, a job and a good pension.

Lillyfae

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121456881#Comment_121456881

But it's not a 100k salary, it's a xxk salary with xxk overtime. He's effectively working every hour he can so that his pension will be solid when he eventually burns out. I would wager that he doesn't really give much of a thought to how much of it goes on tax either. I'd rather that there were two people there doing the job at a fair salary than one person getting paid overtime (which is likely at a higher rate, antisocial hours etc?) routinely and not being at their best 100% of the time. If anyone believes that someone working at 150% fte all the time does a proper job then I don't know what to tell you. Policing is important and not easy, and it's not being done well in Ireland at the moment, that much is abundantly clear.

EDIT: I seem to remember back in the day Gardaí being agreed mortgages on their salary + overtime too. This just goes to show how the attitude towards it is ingrained. They literally bank on their overtime.

HerrKuehn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121456972#Comment_121456972

I would wonder why it matters to you how much someone else works. It is about trade offs and I have made similar myself, with a stressful job and long hours. So while I might have additional stress over the average person work wise, I have much less stress in terms of accommodation and other costs. So, overall my family has a much better standard of living, less stress etc. All for the "cost" of additional hours, which at least in my case (and I would guess also the other poster), is well worth it.

Lillyfae

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121457012#Comment_121457012

It matters because policing is a public service, funded by everyone. Why should we be provided with a sub par service by less people who feel entitled to 70+ hours of overtime a month? When we could have enough people and no overtime.

HerrKuehn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121457080#Comment_121457080

Well it is really a matter for management. I have no idea how much overtime is done on average or whether some people are not performing due to doing too much overtime.

HeidiHeidi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121457080#Comment_121457080

But the fact is we don't have enough people right now, and those who are doing mental amounts of overtime (well, most of them) are heartily sick of it.

But the job is effectively running on overtime.

They need to get a handle on why so many are retiring on the button of 30 years and resigning, and why only a fraction of their anticipated and much vaunted numbers make it in the gates of Templemore, never mind back out the gate again fully trained - and start addressing those issues, urgently.

And as of next year, I think, the retiring-at-30-years phenomenon is going to get a whole pile worse as the accelerated recruitment phases hit their 30 year mark.

Lillyfae

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121457086#Comment_121457086

The poster said he does 73 hours of overtime on average every month, and about 50 hours of that voluntary. It certainly is a matter for management, and good luck to them going up against a union to make any kind of a change.

Lillyfae

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121457095#Comment_121457095

Getting a handle on why they're working 30 years and retiring? Because they're getting a golden handshake and a pension we'll never see the like of again, obviously. It's not rocket science.

Again, referring to the poster who said that most of his overtime is VOLUNTARY. Not like he's young, free and single either, he's giving up weekends and holidays when he has children- but it's grand because "the wife" does the childcare.

STB.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121457080#Comment_121457080

Entitlement ? Where is that coming from. I doubt anyone wants to work that amount of time over and above the minimum, unless they are insomniacs. There is a serious problem with the management of any organisation that requires that amount of overtime. They are understaffed and have been for some time. The reason they are is that no one in their right mind would want to do that job.

The whole article by The Irish Times is a hit piece and totally inaccurate as pointed out countless times in the thread. Quoting weekly "enjoyments" when they take home a fraction at Net stage is abundantly clear. The IT piece also glaringly made a false claim and clickbait headline based upon an increase in pay that included back pay under the public sector wage agreement. Seems like a well placed article to take political pressure off failings at the highest management & ministerial levels.

Lillyfae

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121457151#Comment_121457151

I doubt anyone wants to work that amount of time over and above the minimum, unless they are insomniacs.

The poster himself said that most of the overtime he does is voluntary, so he must want to do it.

mikethecop

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121452314#Comment_121452314

you object me being paid for working longer than usual ?

do you work ? work for free ?

salonfire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121457217#Comment_121457217

Oh OK, I see what you're trying to spin now.

That figure you presented is not your weekly net pay, it's much higher than that.

Seems like you were trying to mislead everyone for a minute there.

And that monthly payment is not just overtime, it includes allowances. Don't be smart and pretend the extra you get on top of your base salary is just overtime and working extra.

mikethecop

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121457365#Comment_121457365

you dont appear to understand what weekly net pay means .

come back when you do ,

i wonder where all your bitterness comes from ?

salonfire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121457418#Comment_121457418

One of the weeks of the month, your pay is much higher than you let on. Seems like you forgot that.

I'm glad I was here to correct you.

The figure you mentioned is a total misrepresentation.

awec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121457095#Comment_121457095

I think as of next year, the Gardai retiring after 30 years need to be at least 55 years old rather than 50 years old to get the full pension.

The thing is, how many 55+ year old Guards do we really want? It's a young person's job, particularly if you haven't progressed through the ranks and are still doing day-to-day Garda duties. Not saying 55 year olds are old and decrepid but Guards need to maintain a certain physical condition (or at least, they're supposed to) and that only gets harder as you get older.

Increasing the number of Guards needs to be done via increasing the intake rather than encouraging more Guards to stay on to 60. I don't think the relatively early retirements is part of the problem.

HerrKuehn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121457151#Comment_121457151

The article is basic a counter piece to the public sector poor mouth, quoting net salary, disregarding any other allowances, hiding behind the lowest paid when the majority are still on the higher entitlements (there should really be pay agreements specificaly targeting post 2013 to eventually level up to the total compensation including pension of the older staff). Even regarding the back pay, it is still clear that it isn't a bad job. It is a really unfortunate fact for some that the statistics prove it to be so. We all remember the poor Garda sergeant in 2012 on 75k who was so poor they had to resort to eating cereal boxes https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/a-cereal-mystery-rjm522ktblb

Francis McM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121457544#Comment_121457544

I never saw a Garda running after a criminal in their life. There are plenty of desk jobs, supervisory jobs, court work etc for Gardai to do until the age of 65 before they get their 18 months tax free handout and golden pension. Why retire them at 50 or 55 at taxpayers expense? There are plenty of people expected to keep working, doing physical work, until 66 or 67 eg building labourers , even though they may not be as fit as they once were. Give the taxpayers a break instead of crucifying us, will you? Gardai in their 50's and early 60s should be well capable of doing desk jobs, driving jobs, supervision, using a radio etc....instead of playing golf in Portugal on a golden pension.

awec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121457847#Comment_121457847

Gardai have to retire at 60, they cannot work until 65.

There are some desk jobs that can be done I am sure, but I don't think we want a ton of Guards aged 55+. It is far better to replace them with younger members who are more suited to the requirements of the job.

I think trying to compare Gardai to labourers is a bit silly, tbh.

salonfire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121457944#Comment_121457944

The WhatsApp chats between Gardai responding to the Dublin riots was leaked this week.

Whilst their colleagues were getting a battering and businesses looted , some of the Garda on WhatsApp were more concerned about whether an overtime cap was in place. They couldn't see past the €€€ for themselves.

HeidiHeidi

There's a very good reason for that question to be asked, but given the way this thread has gone all along I'm not going to waste my time elaborating.

monseiur

This discussion on garda overtime etc. got me thinking of the garda scandal back in 2017 when 1.5 million bogus breath tests (in relation to drink driving) were recorded by the garda between 2009 & 2017. Just wondering were the garda on overtime while these bogus breath tests were ''taken'' and did they pay it back 😁 ....and how many were reprimanded, suspended or sacked.

amacca

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121452959#Comment_121452959

Indeed..and the assertion that it's teachers kids join teaching isn't true in my experience either

The majority of teachers kids I know wouldn't touch it with a bargepole

Out of 50 on a staff, only 3 teachers went teaching....and in one case that was 1 out of the 4 kids