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Chairman:   Once the Health Service Executive submission is heard, we will probably look at a private meeting with a consultant to have an overview of what has happened to now and the structures being put in place. If there are any difficulties, that would be the time to raise that issue.
Clerk to the Committee: That is a good suggestion. The HSE report is being drafted as we speak. Nothing major will change with the HSE’s details. The general themes that we can take from all members’ contributions can be fed into it. I will have an early draft ready for next week. The more rough drafts one has, the better.
Chairman: We will have an early private meeting so everyone will know the direction we are taking. Is that agreed? Agreed.
Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances
Mr. Martin Callinan (Commissioner, An Garda Síochána), Mr. P. J. Stone (General Secretary, Garda Representative Association) and Mr. John Redmond (General Secretary, Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors) called and examined.
Chairman: I remind members, witnesses and those in the Visitors' Gallery to turn off their mobile telephones because they can interfere with the quality of the transmission.
I advise witnesses they are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they are to give to the committee. If they are directed by it to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and continue to do so, they are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against a Member of either House, a person outside the Houses or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. I remind members of the provision within Standing Order 158 that the committee shall refrain from inquiring into the merits of a policy or policies of the Government or a Minister of the Government or the merits of the objectives of such policy or policies.
I welcome Mr. Martin Callinan, Commissioner, An Garda Síochána, Mr. P. J. Stone, general secretary, Garda Representative Association, and Mr. John Redmond, general secretary, Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, and ask them to introduce their colleagues.
Mr. Martin Callinan: I am accompanied by Ms Noirín O'Sullivan, deputy commissioner, operations, Mr. Nacie Rice, deputy commissioner, strategy and change management, and Mr. Michael Culhane, executive director of finance.
Mr. P. J. Stone: I am accompanied by Mr. John Parker, president of the Garda Representative Association.
Mr. John Redmond: I am accompanied by Mr. Willie Gleeson, president of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors.
Chairman: I invite Mr. Martin Callinan to make his opening statement.
Mr. Martin Callinan: I thank the committee for the opportunity to appear once again before it in my capacity as Accounting Officer for An Garda Síochána. I look forward to discussing any aspect of the Vote with the committee. I have previously supplied briefing material to the committee in response to several queries it has raised and on which it wished to have information.
The strength of An Garda Síochána on 31 December 2010 was 14,377, all ranks. The strength of the force on 31 December 2011 was 13,894, a reduction of 483 members. The strength of the force on 26 October 2012 was 13,476 sworn members, inclusive of all ranks. We are three members fewer today. In total since 31 December 2010, 901 gardaí of all ranks have retired or left the organisation. On 31 December 2011, there were 2,074 full-time equivalent civilian staff employed in an Garda Síochána with a ratio of civilian to sworn members of 1:7. An Garda Síochána remains committed to attaining a lower ratio. However, this is influenced by the current public sector recruitment moratorium. It must also be borne in mind that An Garda Síochána performs security, intelligence and immigration functions that are not performed by many of our comparator police organisations. These additional mandates have an impact on the garda-civilian ratio. The number of full-time equivalent civilian staff employed in An Garda Síochána on 26 October 2012 was 2,031.
This year to date has been challenging and demanding yet An Garda Síochána has had much success operationally and organisationally with decreases in many categories of crime, reductions once again in road fatalities and many successes against dissident republicans intent on causing injury in either this jurisdiction or in Northern Ireland. The efficient use of resources has been highlighted in the annual Garda policing plan 2012. One of its objectives is to promote efficiencies and effectiveness in resource allocation and deployment so as to enhance the policing service we provide to members of the public. However, I am conscious of the need to make the best use of State resources made available to me. With this in mind, I have initiated constructive dialogue with our criminal justice sector partners such as the Courts Service, the Prison Service and the Department of Justice and Equality that will generate further efficiencies in the years to come.
The 2012 budget for the Garda Vote amounts to €1.325 billion, 8% less than the 2011 budget of €1.439 billion which was also reduced from the 2010 figure. The rapid decline in the public finances in recent years requires us all to do more with less. An Garda Síochána is not immune from the effects of the downturn in public finances and we continue to play our part in our nation's economic recovery. The public and other stakeholders expect as efficient and productive an organisation as possible. Indeed, the significant achievement already made by An Garda Síochána in delivering organisational reform is widely recognised. For example, there has been the piloting of a new roster, the first in almost 40 years in the force, and the new performance and accountability system which is due for full roll out in 2013.
In conjunction with these achievements, An Garda Síochána also has a significant organisational development and change programme in operation encompassing my commitments towards the Croke Park agreement, the integrated reform delivery plan and the GRACE, Garda response to a changing environment, programme. This programme has 39 projects either completed or in progress in areas such as a new service delivery model, district and station rationalisation, workforce realignment and an examination of specialisation in the organisation among others.
Up to 90% of the Garda Vote is expended on wages, salaries and allowances. Several allowances were first introduced by the then Government in the Garda Síochána Allowances Order 1924 and 1926. These allowances recognised the unique nature of the work of An Garda Síochána and were awarded in many instances in lieu of basic pay rises over the years. This uniqueness was subsequently recognised by both the Conroy commission in 1970 and the Ryan committee of inquiry in 1979. The Conroy commission recognised the significant impact these allowances had on the morale of the organisation. The debate around allowances has particular resonance in An Garda Síochána similar to other public service organisations and, indeed, has implications for the Croke Park agreement.
The conciliation and arbitration process is one of the negotiating mechanisms which exists for the purpose of enabling the Minister for Justice and Equality, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána on the one hand, and the Garda representative associations on the other, to provide for the determination and validity of claims including pay and allowances.
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