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Cruel reality of life for Gardai

snubbleste

TheStar - Cruel reality of life for Gardai

As I sit at home writing this I know I’m risking my job by attempting to tell the truth about what it’s like to be a member of AGS in 2015.
I have been a member of An Garda Siochana for over a decade.

Having our wages cut so much that gardai are forced to sleep in their cars so they will have enough fuel to be able to go to work day in and day out. I’m not ashamed to say I’m personally struggling to live day to day money-wise.
I’ve gone days eating cereal so my kids can eat a proper meal.
I’ve struggled with everything from having tax on my car to having food in the presses at home.
I know lads out of work that are on better money unemployed than I am at work and they’re able to go for a pint on a Saturday or Sunday night.

Previous 80 page thread Garda Sergeant can't afford food

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Reg'stoy

With the idea of a living wage as opposed to the minimum wage been pushed, what exactly is a living wage?
Should we all be entitled to own a home, or should this wage mean the cost of renting a room in a house is the max you should expect. Should you be able to run a car (lot of jobs require you to have a car, early starts etc). What level of food shopping might you expect, branded products or all lidl/aldi.

With all the above taken into account, would €250-€375 be enough per week. €12.50 per hour minimum of 20hrs to max of 30hrs. €460 was a figure I heard mooted as the amount, presumably with mortgage/rent and living expenses you wouldn't have a lot left at the end of the week.

eisen1968

Sam Kade Cornflakes expensive so Garda should have no problem buying proper food instead. That's Your perception of this argument. Your saying if a Garda can afford cornflakes he can also afford proper food. That is incredible, if that is in fact how you actually perceive this argument. Maybe i'm, wrong but that is how it reads. I suggest you lie down for the remainder of your existence on this planet and stay down.

Billy86

eisen1968 wrote: »

Point is, we don't look after our own in this country. That Garda is eating cornflakes because his taxes and yours and mine were spent on entertaining Germans as they got off a cruise ship. How much do we owe again?

I want to see your full proposals of how to fix the economy. Not just cherry picking anecdotes like the one you are referring here, an actual full proposal that covers all bases. Go.

EDIT: And I already pointed out, there are CONSIDERABLY cheaper, tastier, and more nutritious options for him. Eating cereal all the time is a very expensive way to keep yourself hungry.

Billy86

jonnny68 wrote: »

Certain Gardai seem to take great pleasure in inflicting pain on water protesters , many videos ive seen they look to be provoking people into a reaction, although in fairness they do have a tough job with the amount of junkies and general scum around thesedays, i highly doubt they would last 2 minutes in any other country but Ireland...land of cesspit and corruption.

Quick question for ya - why are the rest of Europe not up in arms about water charges? As best I know, ours are amongst the cheapest on the continent.

darkpagandeath

eisen1968 wrote: »

Did you ever think about joining the Gardaí Yourself?

What's that have to do with money management ?

Billy86

eisen1968 wrote: »

I want I want I want. First words out of your mouth. Next.

So you have none, got it. Not surprised, but I got it. Paul Murphy would be proud.

darkpagandeath

Billy86 wrote: »

Quick question for ya - why are the rest of Europe not up in arms about water charges? As best I know, ours are amongst the cheapest on the continent.

Probably as they don't pay though direct taxation as well. Or had other taxes put up to pay for them.

the_syco

eviltwin wrote: »

he should try it, he'd get a land.

Do the people on the dole still get bottles thrown at their face, and blood spat at them?

Billy86

the_syco wrote: »

Do the people on the dole still get bottles thrown at their face, and blood spat at them?

How is that relevant to the statement "I know lads out of work that are on better money unemployed than I am at work" ?

He never brought up a comparison of life as a Gard vs life on the dole. Just the finances. Nothing else.

il gatto

the_syco wrote: »

Do the people on the dole still get bottles thrown at their face, and blood spat at them?

They do. And they have no pepper spray and batons. And when they ring the Gadai, they show up ages later and tell them there's nothing they can do.

Sam Kade

eisen1968 wrote: »

Sam Kade Cornflakes expensive so Garda should have no problem buying proper food instead. That's Your perception of this argument. Your saying if a Garda can afford cornflakes he can also afford proper food. That is incredible, if that is in fact how you actually perceive this argument. Maybe i'm, wrong but that is how it reads. I suggest you lie down for the remainder of your existence on this planet and stay down.

No he should ditch the cornflakes then buy proper food or if he's on a very tight budget eat porridge @ 7 cent a bowl and more nutrition than cornflakes.

What age are you 12?

Crooked Jack

Perhaps this explains why a disproportionate amount of them, in my experience anyway, have been massive arseholes

Dan_Solo

mariaalice wrote: »

barley getting by

You're taking the cereal thing far too ceriously.

Dan_Solo

the_syco wrote: »

Do the people on the dole still get bottles thrown at their face, and blood spat at them?

Often the blood gets there from "fell down a stairs" or "hit his head off the car door" in the first place, doesn't it?

Sam Kade

Crooked Jack wrote: »

Perhaps this explains why a disproportionate amount of them, in my experience anyway, have been massive arseholes

So you believe that story.

whatdoicare

I have a mortgage, husband and kid and I'm living on a hell of a lot less than Garda poor mouth there. I eat proper meals, drive a car with petrol in it and even get the odd night out! I even get to sleep in my own bed!

WTF is this fella doing with his money?? Is it gold leaf cereal he's eating? He'd want to cop on and stop trying to do his weekly shop in M&S and go to Aldi like the rest of us. :rolleyes:

Or is this like the Sargeant from a while back who was poor mouthing while living in a six bedroom house and putting his kids through private school while driving around in a brand new merc?

I call massive BS on this story.

Kermit.de.frog

Crooked Jack wrote: »

Perhaps this explains why a disproportionate amount of them, in my experience anyway, have been massive arseholes

Comes from South Armagh, "experience" with the guards eh? Tell us more. Don't tease us.

jimgoose

I don't know about the money end of it - as pointed out earlier in this thread, a Garda with ten years on the job is reasonably well-paid - but the cause of the rest of that man's woes can be traced directly to the shower in Leinster House.

MajorMax

Pocoyo wrote: »

The gardai want a bigger piece of the pie after all they are the ones doing Enda Kenny's dirty work.
Shower of morons attending meter installations over serious crime its pathetic,You'd imagine some form
of moral objection would enter their heads they dont give a **** about their duty to the public.

I'm only suprised it took 29 posts before some mouth breather raised that issue, it has become the Irish version of Godwin's law***

***if an online discussion (regardless of topic or scope) goes on long enough, sooner or later someone will compare someone or something to Hitler or Nazism.

jimgoose

MajorMax wrote: »

I'm only suprised it took 29 posts before some mouth breather raised that issue, it has become the Irish version of Godwin's law***...

This particular mouth-breather is more inclined to agree with that poster than not.

RealCorkLanger

eisen1968 wrote: »

Point is, we don't look after our own in this country. That Garda is eating cornflakes because his taxes and yours and mine were spent on entertaining Germans as they got off a cruise ship. How much do we owe again?

How do you know taxes were spent on that?Would it not be more likely that it was something paid for and arranged by the cruise ship company?

dr.fuzzenstein

jimgoose wrote: »

This particular mouth-breather is more inclined to agree with that poster than not.

I've seen posts by that poster you're inclined to agree with. I'm inclined not to. In general. Gardai wouldn't have to attend meter installations in any other country and most police forces of the world don't have the luxury which duties they may pick and choose from according to their personal tastes and I don't envy them having to attend protests by what is, let's face it, a looney fringe who are just looking for an excuse. I couldn't do it, because if someone got in my face, screaming "PEACUFUL PROTEST!!!" directly in my face, I might crack my baton over his thick skull and unemployed ass and damn the consequences, as long as I really get the bastard so good, he won't forget it in a hurry. Just look at them, I don't see many fully paid up and contributing members of society on those protests.

Back on topic:
I don't envy the Gardai their job, I wouldn't want to do it and I don't think I could control my temper when dealing with some of the fruitcakes they deal with. I think they're reasonably paid and if they can't manage on their money, it's not the state's fault. I have a house, a mortgage, a partner who currently is self employed but not pulling in any significant money, commute 60k each way to work every day and I don't even clear 2.5 a month. I don't live in massive luxury, but I manage just fine. So for someone on €40k to complain is, literally, a bit rich.
Only in ireland do you see people who earn twice the Euro average actually jump up and down, furious at the unfair hardship and poverty foisted upon them. We really should implement a policy of "If you don't like it, fcuk off", it is a free country after all and if you think you can top your civil servant salary, iron-clad guaranteed job and gold-plated pension in the private sector, well? What you waiting for? Untold riches await you!"

Crooked Jack

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Comes from South Armagh, "experience" with the guards eh? Tell us more. Don't tease us.

Sure Im right on the border, i spend half my time in Louth and Monaghan. Travel round the country a lot, too.
Although Im fully prepared to admit that of all the guards out there i've met only a tiny proportion and could just have been consistently unlucky.

jimgoose

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

I've seen posts by that poster you're inclined to agree with. I'm inclined not to. In general. Gardai wouldn't have to attend meter installations in any other country and most police forces of the world don't have the luxury which duties they may pick and choose from according to their personal tastes and I don't envy them having to attend protests by what is, let's face it, a looney fringe who are just looking for an excuse...

Oh I agree, they go where they're sent and rightly so. My issue is with some of the things they're sent to, the priorities of the current administration, if you will. :pac:

Boom_Bap

MOD NOTE - eisen1968 - I've deleted a handful of your posts that are not adding any value to the discsussion, if you need to post, post at least something worth discussing rather than jabs and insults at the Gardaí.

eisen1968

Ok but just to let you know, cornflakes are off the menu in Templemore.

il gatto

Heard on the radio a few years ago that we have the best paid police in Europe with the lowest rate of solving serious crime. Make of that what you will.

Gazzmonkey

il gatto wrote: »

Heard on the radio a few years ago that we have the best paid police in Europe with the lowest rate of solving serious crime. Make of that what you will.

I always thought they were extremely well paid, with one Garda bragging to me during a raid that they get about a grand a week starting off !!!

I would be most pleased to hear that they get much less than that

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Gazzmonkey wrote: »

I always thought they were extremely well paid, with one Garda bragging to me during a raid that they get about a grand a week starting off !!!

I would be most pleased to hear that they get much less than that

They never got a grand starting off at any point in time. Junior guards who've passed out are getting about 350-400 a week.